Fire at Nonthaburi building sparks panic among students (video)

A fire caused by an electrical short circuit at the Chao Phraya House building in Nonthaburi led to panic among students taking shelter from the rain. The blaze, which started under the ceiling, caused loud explosions and forced the students to flee.

The incident occurred yesterday when officials from the Nonthaburi Municipality received a report of a fire at the Chao Phraya House building on Nonthaburi Road, Suan Yai subdistrict, Mueang district. At the time of the fire, many students were sheltering from the rain at the back of the building. The sudden outbreak of flames and loud noises caused them to scream and run for their lives. Officers from the Nonthaburi City Police Station rushed to the scene and coordinated with fire department officials to inspect the two-story wooden building located by the Chao Phraya River, in front of the Nonthaburi City Police Station.

Upon arrival, police discovered that the fire had started under the ceiling near the stairs on the lower floor. Flames were seen emerging from beneath the ceiling, accompanied by sparks and molten liquid dripping from the melting wires onto the floor.

Officials from the Varee Centre inspected the scene and found that the fire had ignited the electrical conduit pipes. Smoke spread under the ceiling and was being emitted through air vents and the electrical control cabinet. They removed the ceiling panels and coordinated with the electricity authority for further inspection. It was confirmed that the fire had resulted from an electrical short circuit, causing a power outage at the Nonthaburi City Police Station for over one hour.

Ceiling fire

A video captured by one of the students showed the fire starting under the ceiling in a room on the lower floor of the building. The footage revealed numerous sparks falling to the ground with intermittent loud noises. According to the students, they were sitting at the back of the building to avoid the rain when they heard a loud noise followed by sparks for about five minutes. There were nearly 20 students present, and the noise caused panic, leading to a chaotic escape where some students stumbled and fell.

The Chao Phraya House building, owned by the Nonthaburi Municipality, serves as a reception house by the river. Typically, a housekeeper is present at the location, but she was away on an errand during the incident. Following the fire, officials from the Nonthaburi Municipality Clerk’s Office conducted an inspection and estimated that the entire electrical system on the lower floor, including underground conduit pipes, would need to be replaced. The damage is expected to exceed one million baht. The repairs will be funded by the Nonthaburi Municipality’s budget, reported KhaoSod.

“While we were sitting to avoid the rain behind the building, we suddenly heard a loud noise and saw sparks. It lasted for about five minutes. Everyone was frightened and ran in all directions.”