A drone explosion near the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak killed three Myanmar chilli farm workers, including an 11 year old child, and seriously injured two others yesterday, June 2, after an explosive device reportedly crossed from Myanmar into Thailand.
Officers from Phop Phra Police Station, soldiers, and security officials inspected a chilli farm near the Thai-Myanmar border in Wale subdistrict, Phop Phra district, Tak province, at 4pm.
Police found a medium-sized explosive drone, similar to a glider, lying mostly intact beside a tree. About 10 metres away, officers found one blast crater in the chilli farm.
A 25 year old Myanmar woman who worked as a chilli picker died at the scene. Four other workers were seriously injured and taken to the hospital.
Two of them, the woman’s 37 year old husband and 11 year old son, later died from their injuries. The other two injured workers, a 31 year old man and 30 year old woman, were transferred to Mae Sot Hospital.
Police said heavy fighting had taken place throughout the day on the Myanmar side of the border. The workers were reportedly picking chillies on the Thai side when the explosive drone crossed into Thailand, hit a large tree, and fell near the roadside.
Thairath reported that the explosive device appeared to have fallen into the chilli farm. Five workers walked over to inspect it before it exploded.
Phop Phra police sealed off the area as a dangerous zone pending a detailed forensic examination. Officials also warned residents along the Phop Phra border not to move, touch, or play with any suspicious object, and to report it to officials immediately.
Elsewhere, last year, the Second Army Region reported 12 Cambodian drones near the Thailand-Cambodia border, with control signals disrupted for six of them, as Cambodian movements were detected in some areas.
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