The Recommendations
for Preventive Measures
1. The arsenals must be located at least 10 km. away from the
residential community and must cover with protective bunkers.
2. All expired amunition must be destroyed immediately under a clear
plan to destroy all ammunitions as rapidly as possible.
3 The measure on careful transportation of expired ammunitions must be
taken. Not only does it need
well-trained personnel, but it also need an appropriate time for tranferring
these ammunitions, especially in the hot-weather country like Thailand because
heat can generate an explosive effect inside a rocket to melt and leak out. In
addition, some bullets with smoke emitted from fallen shells and phosphorus can
easily produce the chemical reaction leading to the explosion, particularly at
the temperature of more than 400C. However to assure the safety, we should avoid transferring
ammunitions during the day and choose to do it during the night if the
temperature is more than 350C.
The Royal Thai Army arsenals exploded on25th October 2001 at
Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima province, 150 KM. north east of Bangkok. The massive blast caused death of all
EOD personnels who were transferring those ammunitions and personnels that work
nearby and many villegers were injured most of them were in shock. The various types of amunitions were
scattered in a 2 km. radius of the explosion. This incident also caused the damage to houses schools and a factory nearby.
After the explosion, the Supreme Commander ordered the TMAC Director in
organizing the Humanitarian Mine Action Unit 1 or HMAU-1,HMAU-2 and HMAU-3 with
all types of mine detectors and related equipment to assist the villagers who
were suffering from scattered mines.
HMAUs operated for 2 months clearing UXO and mines from affected Pak
Chong residents and agricultural fields.
THANK YOU
Director of TMAC
30 May 2002