Army ordnance explosion injures 5 in Thailand

Five army technicians were in injured in an accidental explosion at the Thai Army Ordnance Department in Bangkok on Monday, army spokesman Winthai Suwaree said.

The explosion happened at around 10 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) when the technicians were disassembling a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in which a grenade was stuck, Winthai was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying.

But Director-General of the ordnance department Tharee Wuthipanich said there was no grenade in the launcher, and it was the propellant that exploded during a regular repair.

The technicians, who suffered head and chest injuries, were rushed to a hospital, according to Winthai.

It was an incident inside a military unit with no impact on the outside, he said. Endi