• 
• 

At least 52 workers of the PTT Phenol Co, Ltd in Hemmarat Industrial Estate in the province's Muang district suffered from various illness, include vomiting, sudden headache and blurry vision. Ten workers were in serious condition, hospital staff said.

 The students and teachers of Mabchaloot school were evacuated to office of Mabtaphut municipality. They were all safe.

At first, officials were unclear what kind of gas had leaked.

Sumetha Wichienphet, an emergency rescue operation chief of Pollution Control Department said that the gas that leaked is benzene that can cause cancer but its danger is less than phenol.

Earlier Sumetha said it was still unclear which gas had leaked.

"We have to have rescue team to go into the factory to find out which kind of gas had leaked. If it is phenol, it will be dangerous because it is poisonous," he said.

Officials from the department will also inspect the nearby areas including water sources to examine whether they were contaminated by the gas or not, he said.