A total of 23 people attending a foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of an ubosot (chapel) at a temple in Warin Chamrab district of the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani were injured when a temporary floor of the ubosot caved in.

The incident took place Friday morning at Wat Pa Ubonkaew where a foundation stone laying ceremony was held.

Rescue workers said the contractor had laid the supporting beams for the floor of the ubosot which is about 6-7 metres above the ground, but it has not yet built the cement floor and, therefore used plywood board as temporary floor of the ubosot.

Unfortunately, there were too many people standing on the temporary plywood board floor which could not withstand the weight of the ceremony attendants and caved in.

Police however said that they would summon the contractor for questioning before a charge of negligence causing injuries to the other people would be filed against him.

Meanwhile, the temple administrator said that the temple would take care of the medical expenses of all the injured, including three who suffered fractured leg bones.