More arrests likely in SCB tragedy (Updated)

16 มีนาคม 2559

Police probing the tragedy at Siam Commercial Bank's (SCB) head office have vowed to seek more arrest warrants as company officials and eyewitnesses cast doubt on early theories about the cause.

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Mega Planet execs: Safety standards followed

Online reporters

Two executives of the company contracted for the fire-extinguishing system upgrade at Siam Commercial Bank's head office insisted that their firm properly followed safety standards.

Napong Suksanguan, managing director of Mega Planet Co, and Adisorn Poda, another company director, surrendered to police on Monday in response to warrants after the toxic leak that left eight people killed and seven others injured Sunday night.

They were released on 500,000 baht bail each by the Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Mr Napong said the company's workers went inside the SCB Park building on Sunday night to replace the old fire-prevention system using Pyrogen aerosal retardant with a new nitrogen-based system.

He declined to give technical details on the installation, saying police were investigating to establish what caused the chemical leak.

Mr Narong said only that his workers had not used power tools that could generate sparks or smoke, nor done anything to tamper with the old system. They had properly followed safety standards, he added.

He said he company would pay 150,000 baht compensation for each of the dead and 50,000 baht for each of the injured.

Mr Narong said that, since its opening in 2004, Mega Planet had never had an accident and the SCB Park incident was regarded as a crisis that would be taken as a lesson to improve its work.

The company has received a safety certificate from the Labour Ministry, he said.

Morning story

Police vow more arrests in SCB deaths

Eyewitnesses say no drilling took place

Post Reporters

Police probing the tragedy at Siam Commercial Bank's (SCB) head office have vowed to seek more arrest warrants after questioning two company executives charged with carelessness that led to eight deaths in the accident.

Napong Suksanguan in police custody outside the Paholyothin police station before being released on bail yesterday.

However, Napong Suksanugan, managing director of Mega Planet Co, the contractor for fire extinguisher system improvements at SCB, and Adisorn Poda, another director of the company, were released on bail of 500,000 baht by the Criminal Court Tuesday evening.

The police had asked the court for permission to detain the men through March 26 on the grounds that the executives may flee given that the case is considered severe and carries a punishment of up to 10 years in jail.

In the request, officers accused Mr Napong and Mr Adisorn of violating contractual commitments on hiring experts and experienced workers to conduct maintenance of the fire protection equipment.

Investigators believe their testimonies, along with those from witnesses, could lead to more arrests. City police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathaworn said "another two to four suspects, or more" will be sought for arrest.

The two Mega Planet Co board members and their lawyers meet with investigators and acting city police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathaworn (right)

Pol Lt Gen Sanit met the two men after they turned themselves in to police following arrest warrants issued on Monday night. They denied allegations of being involved in the accident.

Investigators suspect the two executives probably hired "unqualified workers" to work in the basement security room, calling it a "careless act" that ended in tragedy late on Sunday night, according to the request submitted to the Criminal Court.

All the victims work with a company subcontracted by Mega Planet, according to an initial investigation.

The officers cited accounts of some survivors who believed the company had the workers drill into a ceiling in order to install a new fire protection system.

Their work allegedly caused dust which activated the fire extinguisher system's smoke detection sensors, unleashing pyrogen aerosol retardant which depleted the oxygen in the room, believed to have caused the deaths.

The eight victims – seven workers and one security guard – failed to escape when the chemical turned into gas, depleting the oxygen in the room.

However, a worker who was in the room when the incident occurred insisted there was no drilling at the time.

Somchit Samyo, 28, one of the injured workers who narrowly escaped death, said that he and other workers did not perform any drilling or welding work at the time.

"I heard an explosion over my head. Gas suddenly flowed out of chemical containers," he said in an interview with Channel 3 while being admitted to a hospital.

At that time, he managed to help his older sister and brother-in-law leave the room but failed to help his 24-year-old niece and her boyfriend. Both of them died in the accident.

He fled in time as he remembered that there was a trolley left by the door, helping guide him to the exit.

One week earlier the man had been hired to work in the SCB basement and he invited his "cousins" to help with the job, he recalled.

Saran Danthong, an SCB staff member hospitalised at another hospital after the incident, said he heard an alarming sound while he was inspecting the area. He ran into the room where the sound came from. Then he heard an explosion before smoke covered the area.

"Luckily I was near to the door so I managed to get out before I lost consciousness and woke up in a rescue vehicle," he said.

The incident was the second in two years at the SCB head office, also known as SCB Park, after a fire on Feb 7, 2015, that caused severe damage to the 10th floor of the 37-storey building and claimed the life of one firefighter.

SCB and Mega Planet Co representatives confirmed victims and families will receive compensation.