A loud explosion rocked a funeral fireworks factory, shattering the entire house. The owner suffered severe burns all over his body. The cause is suspected to be extreme heat due to hot weather conditions.
At 16:00 on 18 February 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Natthanun Poolsrisang, Deputy Investigator at Ban Lat Police Station, Phetchaburi Province, was notified of a fireworks explosion at house number 83, Village 4, Tham Rong Subdistrict, Ban Lat District, Phetchaburi. The location, known as Rungthip Fireworks Shop, was used to manufacture fireworks for funerals. The blast caused severe injuries to a person on site. The report was immediately sent to Mr. Preecha Ananwaranat, Chief of Ban Lat District, and Police Colonel Jakrapat Janthieng, Chief of Ban Lat Police Station, who promptly dispatched forces to investigate and coordinated with local fire units from Rai Makham Subdistrict Administrative Organization and volunteer rescue teams for support.
At the scene, rescuers found one injured man suffering severe burns all over his body. He was identified as Mr. Hongthong Yamyuanyong, 74, a resident of the house. Officials promptly provided first aid and then transported him for treatment at Phrachomklao Hospital in Phetchaburi.
Additionally, the building used for fireworks production was severely damaged by the explosion and caught fire, burning down entirely. Firefighters arrived and successfully controlled and extinguished the blaze.
Mr. Theerawat Chuen-arom, a local eyewitness, said he heard a loud explosion accompanied by thick smoke rising into the sky. He rode a motorcycle to the site and saw the factory building on fire and the injured man, who was still conscious, spraying water to put out the flames. Mr. Theerawat shouted for him to come out and assisted in the rescue.
Ms. Rungthip Changsiang, 62, the injured man’s wife, said the location was used to produce fireworks specifically for funerals. At the time of the incident, she was selling goods outside and did not know what her husband was doing inside the factory. The site no longer produced fireworks regularly but only made them to order, keeping only a small amount of gunpowder on hand. She was puzzled by how the explosion occurred but noted that the weather was extremely hot that day, which might have contributed to the incident.