Night-time blaze claims the life of bed-ridden man in Ang Thong, Thailand
A blaze ripped through a wooden house in the middle of the night, tragically claiming the life of a bed-ridden 48 year old man in Ang Thong province. His heartbroken father, who escaped by jumping from the house, was unable to save him. It took approximately an hour for fire officers and local volunteer groups to subdue the fire.
The incident occurred at around 2am this morning in the property located at 63 Moo 3, Pho Thong, Ang Thong. Upon receiving the alarm, Deputy Investigator Sombad Somboondee and officials from Pho Thong Police Station rushed to the incident scene. They were joined by local firefighting units including the Bang Plapat Fire Unit and Pho Thong Municipality Fire Brigade, as well as Ang Thong Rescue volunteers.
When at the scene, the fire had already engulfed the entire house. The body of the bed-bound patient, Artit, lay scorched amidst the debris. All contents of the house were destroyed, revealing nothing but a shell of the former home. The fire also consumed several motorcycles parked underneath the house, reported KhaoSod.
The house owner, 63 year old Somchet, a construction contractor, lived in the house with two others. He recounted the incident disclosing that the blaze had erupted from below the house and quickly spread across the property. He managed to leap to safety but could not get to his son, who was trapped in the burning building. His son’s dire condition made it impossible for him to move, which made any rescue attempt futile.
On another sombre note, 45 year old May, the daughter-in-law and girlfriend of the deceased, suffered from burns on her body and limbs. Firefighters later brought her to Wisetchaichan Hospital. Fortunately, her condition stabilised by the early morning.
Thirty-one year old Nan, a neighbour and the one who filmed the fire had called the authorities to transport May to the hospital. After securing May’s safety, Nan focused on locating her cats, who had been startled by the fire and had run away. All the cats were eventually found.
Early responses from Bang Plapad Sub-district Administrative Organisation were to prepare a temporary shelter and coordinate assistance from government agencies for Somchet. Meanwhile, police were swiftly gathering evidence and targeting to pinpoint the cause of the fire accurately.
