Fire destroys century-old house in Krabi, killing elderly woman

A tragic fire engulfed a century-old house, claiming the life of a 70 year old woman while her 85 year old sister narrowly escaped by hiding in the bathroom. Firefighters took five hours to subdue the inferno.

At 3am yesterday, Police Captain Kiatichai Yodrak of Klong Thom Police Station in Krabi province received a report of a fire in a house located in Soi Chumchon Rong Luea, Moo 2, within the Klong Thom Tai Municipality, just 200 meters from the police station.

Upon receiving the report, he immediately coordinated with the municipal fire department, which dispatched fire trucks to the scene.

The fire was found to be raging through two adjoining wooden houses. The first house was a single-storey wooden structure, while the second was a one-and-a-half-storey house built with a mix of concrete and wood.

Firefighters attempted to douse the flames, but the old, dry wood, which had been in place for over a century, acted as a potent fuel, causing the fire to spread rapidly and intensely.

Firefighters focused on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby houses.

Miraculous rescue

While battling the flames, firefighters heard cries for help from the bathroom at the back of the house. Upon investigation, they found the homeowner, 85 year old Chantana hiding.

They rescued her and took her to Klong Thom Hospital for treatment. Chantana informed them that her younger sister, Aparn, was still trapped inside the house and unable to escape.

Due to the intense flames, firefighters could not reach her in time.

After more than five hours, firefighters finally subdued the blaze. Both houses were destroyed. Inside the house, they discovered Aparn’s body lying on the ground floor, crushed by a large wooden beam.

Her body was sent to Klong Thom Hospital for an autopsy before being handed over to her relatives for religious rites.

Preliminary inquiries with a relative, 53 year old Sujira revealed that Aparn and Chantana usually slept in separate houses. Aparn slept on the second floor of the one-and-a-half-storey house, while Chantana stayed in the single-storey wooden house.

Possible electrical fire

Around 2am, Chantana heard noises resembling a fire coming from under the staircase of the house where Aparn was sleeping, as the electrical control panel was located there.

Seeing the fire, Chantana tried to call out to her sister, urging her to escape. While Aparn was running downstairs, Chantana fled towards the back of the house and hid in the bathroom, which was separate from the main house, thus saving her life.

It is believed that Aparn was struck by a burning wooden beam, preventing her from escaping and leading to her tragic death. The two sisters lived together without any other family members, reported Khaosod.