BANGKOK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's army chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said on Wednesday that Tuesday night's explosions at an army arsenal complex in central province Lop Buri were not terrorist attacks.

    The blasts were probably caused by the extremely hot weather, said Sonthi before boarding a helicopter heading to the explosion scene for an inspection Wednesday morning, the English-language newspaper Bangkok Post reported in its website.

    The Army chief, also the chairman of the Council for National Security, was accompanied by army experts who would help find the real cause of the blasts. The explosions hit Khao Phra Nam subdistrict of the Lop Buri provincial seat at around 8:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) Tuesday and lasted about half an hour.

    Some 1,300 people including military personnel, their families and some 300 people in nearby areas were evacuated Tuesday night. No causalities were reported.

    Sonthi added that he had ordered military personnel at other arsenals to beef up security measures and to find ways to reduce heat to prevent further blasts.

    The arsenal complex, which was hit by the blasts, is one of the two largest army ammunition depots. The other one is located in northeastern province Nakhon Ratchasima. Lop Buri is also where the main army base in central Thailand is situated.