large explosion tore through a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand on Saturday, killing at least 10 people and wounding many more, officials said.
At least 118 people have been injured, some seriously, and residents of more than 200 households affected, Narathiwat province officials said.
They believe there are still people trapped under debris waiting to be rescued.
Videos posted on social media show a huge plume of smoke over the area and many damaged structures, cars and motorbikes. Streets were covered with debris.
Saturday’s blast caused damage in a radius of about 500 metres (1,640ft), the local public relations agency reported.
About 100 homes have been damaged, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
Provincial governor Sanan Pongaksorn told public broadcaster Thai PBS the explosion was likely triggered by construction work taking place in the warehouse, with sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode.
He said about 500 to 800 people who live nearby may have to be moved to a temporary shelter.
Separately on Saturday, an explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in southern India, killing eight people and injuring several others, police said.
The cause of the explosion in the district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu state was not immediately known.
Houses and shops nearby were also damaged, authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency.
India has a huge demand for fireworks, which are used in religious festivals and weddings.
There are fatal accidents nearly every year as people work in makeshift factories in the absence of proper safety standards.
In 2018 a massive fire at a firework factory in the capital New Delhi killed 17 workers.
