A Thai woman nearly lost her left hand after switching on a radio that was abandoned in a small hut in a rice field in the northeastern province of Roi Et, after the device exploded when she switched it on. Similar incidents were previously reported in Lop Buri province in central Thailand.
Local police officers and administrative officials rushed to assist the 60 year old woman, Duenpen Phanwai, after being alerted by residents in Dong Lan sub-district, Mueang Roi Et district. Duenpen reportedly sustained bloody injuries to her left hand and leg.
The explosion occurred inside a small wooden hut located in the rice fields. At the scene, officers found bloodstains and the remains of a damaged radio.
Neighbours said Duenpen had left home as usual to tend to her cattle. Upon noticing the abandoned radio in the hut, she turned it on, hoping to listen to music while working. However, instead of music, she triggered an explosion.
Duenpen’s husband told 77 Kaoded that he had noticed the radio at the hut several days earlier but had paid it no attention.
This latest incident reminded locals of similar explosions in Lop Buri in June. In that case, three people were injured after attempting to use electrical appliances found at a landfill.
Two victims were hurt after using an abandoned electric drill, with one nearly losing his eyesight. Another woman suffered injuries after a headlamp she picked up from the roadside exploded when she switched it on.
So far, police have not identified any suspects or determined who the electrical appliances belonged to.
Following this latest explosion, officials in Roi Et conducted a thorough inspection of the radio. They told Channel 7 that it had not been intentionally modified into a bomb but had been altered to extend battery life. The device is believed to have belonged to local fishermen.
Channel 7 reported that Duenpen is not yet in stable condition, though her hand and leg injuries are gradually improving.
The story Thai woman injured after turning on modified radio in Roi Et as seen on Thaiger News.
