The Education Ministry has distributed life insurance money and other financial assistance to the family members of a Mathayom Suksa 6 student who was killed when a fire extinguisher exploded during a fire drill at his Bangkok school on Friday.
Permanent secretary for education, Atthapol Sangkhawasi, met on Monday with the family of Khumthong "Benz" Premmanee, 18, who died in the incident at the Rajavinit Mathayom School in Nang Loeng area, Dusit district, to present them with the funds.
Niyom Phaisopha, director-general of Bangkok Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1, and Theprit Yodsai, the school director, also joined the visit.
The family received 200,000 baht in life insurance compensation through the school, with an additional 30,000 baht for the death from the Education Ministry and 5,000 for his family members from the permanent secretary's office, Mr Atthapol said.
The Education Ministry has also given 5,000 baht to each family of those injured.
The ministry also planned to invite psychiatrists to the school when it reopens tomorrow.
Mr Atthapol said the ministry had ordered all schools to recheck their fire safety equipment.
The ministry has also ordered all schools through their provincial educational offices to take extra care when conducting fire drills or any activities that risk student safety, including checking equipment.
Meanwhile, Bunjong Sukritha, secretary-general of the Thailand Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), said the institute had approved Thai Industrial Standards (TSI) for three types of extinguishers: foam extinguishers, dry chemical compound extinguishers, and carbon dioxide extinguishers.
Regarding the extinguisher that exploded at the school, it was a carbon dioxide extinguisher without a TSI sign on the packaging, according to Mr Bunjong.
He added that the TISI did not put carbon dioxide extinguishers on the list of controlled goods, making TISI approval for carbon dioxide extinguishers not compulsory due to their lower popularity and efficiency when compared to others. The TISI will reconsider carbon dioxide extinguisher standardisation following the tragedy, according to Mr Bunjong.
