3 dead, dog electrocuted in storm-hit garage in Ayutthaya

In Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, three people and a dog were found dead, believed to have been electrocuted during a storm this morning. The victims were discovered in a garage of a home in Samphao Lom district around 6.30am.

Police Captain Samart Raksasak, a sub-inspector, revealed that the bodies were found lying near two parked cars inside a metal-framed lean-to garage. One victim was in contact with a steel pole, another was clutching the metal structure, and the third lay with an arm pressed against the frame.

A Thai breed dog was also dead, lying on top of the bodies. Nearby, a rice cooker, used to feed the household’s stray dogs, was still filled with rice.

The victims were identified as 75 year old Kanokporn, a nun; 73 year old Udomsak; and 34 year old Theera. Theera’s 33 year old wife, Wanwimol, told police she returned home during a heavy downpour yesterday evening and saw nothing unusual. She assumed her husband had gone out and didn’t check the garage because of the rain. It was only the next morning that she found the bodies.

Kanokporn and Udomsak reportedly visited the garage each morning to feed around ten stray dogs living there.

Electricity authority workers and rescue teams accompanied police to the scene. The area was immediately cordoned off, and the electricity supply cut after an active current was detected in the metal structure.

Preliminary examinations showed burn marks on the victims’ bodies, particularly their hands. Investigators noted the garage’s electrical wiring was strung directly across steel beams with a circuit breaker mounted on a metal pole, an extremely hazardous setup, especially during heavy rain.

Officials suspect water seeped into the garage, causing the steel beams to become live with electricity. One victim likely made contact and was electrocuted, whilst the others died trying to assist, reported Bangkok Post.

The three bodies have been sent to the Central Institute of Forensic Science in Pathum Thani for autopsy. Police confirmed a thorough investigation into the property’s electrical system is underway to prevent similar tragedies.