Six Thai migrant workers were injured on Tuesday, Aug. 18, after old unexploded ordnance detonated in an agricultural area near Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Thailand’s Ministry of Labour said the six were agricultural workers injured in the blast in Metula on the morning of Aug. 18. Two suffered serious injuries and required surgery, while the ministry said the other four were safe.
Israeli emergency services initially reported two workers in serious condition, one moderately injured and three with minor injuries. The explosion occurred in an orchard near Metula shortly before 7 a.m.
The Metula Local Council said the blast occurred in a nectarine orchard and was initially believed to have been caused by old unexploded ordnance that had remained undetected in the area. Israeli police and bomb-disposal specialists were sent to examine the site and determine the nature of the ordnance.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry later said the two seriously injured workers had undergone surgery and were recovering, while the other four had minor injuries and were safe.
The Thai ambassador in Israel visited the injured workers, while the embassy said it would coordinate medical assistance and follow up on compensation with the hospital and relevant agencies.
More than 40,000 Thai workers are in Israel, most of them employed in agriculture, according to the Associated Press.
Metula, one of Israel’s northernmost towns, has repeatedly been affected by conflict along the Lebanese border. On Oct. 31, 2024, four Thai workers were killed and another survived after a rocket from Lebanon struck an orchard near the town.
Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat said he had instructed the labour office in Tel Aviv to closely monitor the injured workers and coordinate treatment, benefits and other assistance.
“The safety and well-being of all Thai workers abroad are the highest priority. I hope those injured are safe and recover from their injuries soon,” he wrote in Thai in a Facebook post quoted by Thai PBS.