8 die after workers accidentally trigger fire extinguishing system in Bangkok bank
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BANGKOK -- Eight people died and seven others were injured when workers accidentally released fire extinguishing chemicals into the basement of one of Thailand's largest banks.
The accident occurred Sunday night during an upgrade of the safety system at Siam Commercial Bank's headquarters in Bangkok, officials said Monday.
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Workers activated a system that mistakenly released Pyrogen aerosol, a chemical fire retardant which is normally intended to deprive fire of oxygen, the statement said.
The bank said in a statement that an initial investigation found that the accident was caused by "negligence on the part of our contractors hired to improve fire protection in the building."
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The bank identified those who died as a security guard and seven contractors.
Bangkok's Erawan medical emergency center said five people died at the site of the accident and three died later at a hospital.
It said that the apparent cause of death was suffocation from insufficient oxygen, but that the official cause would not be known until autopsies are performed.
Seven other people suffered suffocation-related injuries, including four who were in serious condition, Erawan said.
Police were still investigating the accident and the bank said it would release more information after a meeting of its board members Monday.
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Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
