Fire destroys 15 shops in Bangkok, one fatality reported

A devastating fire in Bangkok engulfed 15 shops, destroying motorcycles and cars, and tragically claiming the life of a bedridden man. Witnesses recounted the harrowing moments as a husband led his wife and child to safety.

At 2.45am yesterday, September 8, the Deputy Inspector of Wang Thong Lang Police Station, Pakapol Paiboonsombat, received a report about a fire in a row of shops on Lat Phrao Road, Wang Thong Lang, Bangkok. He immediately coordinated with the Huamak Fire Station and rescue teams, who dispatched three fire trucks to the scene.

The Forensic Science Division, a medical examiner from the Police General Hospital, and volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation also responded.

The scene was a row of connected zinc-roofed shacks where the fire had spread rapidly, exacerbated by exploding gas cylinders. Firefighters managed to control the blaze within 15 minutes, but the damage was extensive, with fifteen shops completely destroyed.

Investigators discovered the charred remains of 38 year old Niwat, a bedridden man, in the ruins of an Isaan food shop. The fire also destroyed seven motorcycles in a nearby repair shop. Additionally, four vehicles parked across the street suffered minor fire damage.

A fried chicken vendor, 31 year old Peerapong provided a detailed account of the incident. He explained that the area consisted of shops where some vendors lived, while others commuted from home.

He woke up to smoke entering his shop and saw flames engulfing a chicken rice shop. He shouted to alert others about the fire.

“My wife and I grabbed our three-year-old son and ran out immediately. An elderly woman living in a nearby shack also fled.

“The couple from the Isaan food shop escaped, but their bedridden son, who had been ill for over a year, couldn’t be rescued in time and died in the fire.”

Peerapong mentioned that three people had been sleeping in that particular shop, while the other shop owners had gone home.

Initial investigations suggest that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire. Further inspections by the Forensic Science Division will determine the exact cause, reported KhaoSod.