Nong ya kaeo: Villagers in Nong Ya Kaeo, Sa Kaeo Province, evacuated to a bomb shelter after hearing a loud explosion near the Thai-Cambodian border. Security officials are investigating whether the incident is related to the border situation.
According to Thai News Agency, at 7:14 PM on November 12, 2015, a loud noise resembling a “boom” explosion was reported at Checkpoint 35, approximately 1 kilometer from Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province. In response, security forces and Village Defense Volunteers in the area quickly coordinated with the kamnan and village headman to warn villagers to prepare to evacuate to shelters within the community.
At 7:20 PM, Ms. Somporn Petchjit, village headman of Nong Ya Kaew, issued an announcement via the community’s Line group, urging villagers to move as close to the shelter as possible. The message was followed by a loudspeaker announcement instructing local residents to urgently evacuate their homes and seek shelter.
The first villager, an elderly woman, was seen at 7:21 PM, hurriedly making her way from her home with a bag of important documents, visibly shocked and frightened. Vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, and the disabled, were also seen moving towards the shelter.
The atmosphere was described as chaotic, with many villagers using cell phones to contact relatives and check the situation. One villager, who evacuated with his daughter, expressed his fear during an interview. He recounted hearing the loud noise and hastily packing his valuables to bring to the bomb shelter. Having evacuated previously to stay with relatives in Nakhon Ratchasima, he was familiar with the process but hoped for a swift resolution and a return to peace.