Fire hits Toyota factory near Bangkok

BANGKOK - Fire broke out at an engine oil tank belonging to a Toyota factory near Bangkok Sunday night, local media reported.

A dozen fire trucks were sent to the assembly factory to contain the blaze. It was put under control about three hours later. Some buildings in the factory, which is located in Chachoengsao province's Ban Pho district, on the eastern outskirt of the capital city, were partially damaged.

Residents nearby have been evacuated. There is no reports of casualty so far, as most workers were on a weekend day-off.

Police suspected that a worker left the battery of an electric forklift truck charged for too long, resulting to an overheat that caused the fire, according to an online report of the Nation.

The factory is part of the production base the Japanese auto- maker has set up in Thailand. The company has yet to estimate the damage value, but some reports have put the loss at 100 million baht ($3.3 million).