Firefighters mourn student: A heartfelt tribute to a life cut short by extinguisher explosion

A poignant ceremony was held at 7.30am today at the Sunthornthammathan Temple or Kaenangleung Temple in Bangkok. Four firefighters paid their respects to a student in Year 12 who tragically died when a fire extinguisher exploded on school premises.

The firefighters came to the temple to ignite the funeral pyre, dedicating their merits to him. The men visibly displaying their sadness and distress throughout the event, unexpectedly found themselves at the centre of the tragic incident during a fire-safety demonstration at the school.

Somjane Chuthong, Chief of the Sam Sen Fire Department, said…

“Each of us wanted to partake in the ceremony, as a personal tribute to the young student. Whatever benefits the community, we will strive to achieve. However, we would like to express our sincerest apologies to the bereaved family, as well as to all those students who were affected as a result of this incident. From now on, we’re committed to improving our service to ensure the safety of everyone, especially the children who witnessed this heartbreaking incident.”

Continuing his sentiment, Somjane emphasised that all the firefighters are still affected by the incident. Relevant organisations have been approached to take care of their mental health. Benz’s aunt encouraged the firefighter and said she understood them. The firefighters said this served as their greatest support and motivation to continue their work for the community.

At 8.30am, all four firefighters participated in the ceremony, lighting the funeral pyre for Benz. The ceremony was attended by three firefighters who were indicted in the incident, namely Napat Loymek, Chad-archanai Bunked, and Atthaphon Butongrat, along with another firefighter from the demonstration team. However, his identity was kept confidential.

The venerable abbot of Sunthornthamthan Temple was present as a preceptor during the ceremony. It was confirmed that a religious ceremony would be conducted later in the day and the ceremonial cremation was scheduled for 5pm.