Three officials from the Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office will face charges of negligence over a fatal accident during a fire drill at Rachawinit School on Friday morning, in which a student was killed and about ten other people were injured.

Pol Lt-Gen Thiti Sangsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that a fire extinguisher, containing carbon dioxide for use during a demonstration, burst.

The force of the explosion flung a student about 10 metres from where he was sitting and he died at the scene, Thiti said, adding that forensics officers have collected shrapnel from the burst tank and other fire extinguishers for examination, to find out whether they meet the safety standard and who refilled them.

Thirayuth Phumisak, director of the Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said today (Friday) that the fire extinguishers used in the demonstrations at fire drills are demonstration tanks and they are refilled with carbon dioxide every time they are used.

He also claimed that all the extinguishers used in demonstrations are checked every five years and do not leak.   

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that the city administration must take precautionary measures to prevent a repeat of such a tragic accident. 

At about 2pm, the school ordered all students to return home. Many parents, however, had showed up at the school to collect their children as soon as they learned of the accident.