Villagers evacuated on chemical odour

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) - Two persons were hospitalised while some 200 villagers were forced to evacuated from their homes in the eastern province of Rayong after a factory manufacturing cassava flour allegedly emitting strong chemical odour, officials said Sunday. Officials said villagers living near Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate decided to leave their homes and spent Saturday night at the field in Ban Chang district after they could not withstand the strong smell. Veerapong Chaiperm, governor of Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), said he was told by the villagers that the odour was allegedly emitted by the factory, located outside the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate. The strong odour had been lessened by Sunday morning. The two victims had been released from the hospital while the villagers had also returned to their homes. IEAT officials they would inspect the factory and nearby area again after the situation has returned to normal. (TNA)