Lucky escape: Lives and gold spared in Lopburi house fire
A devastating fire consumed a family home, destroying over 100,000 baht in cash but miraculously sparing five baht of gold. The incident occurred yesterday afternoon, December 27, resulting in damages estimated at over 1 million baht.
Police from the Ban Mi Police Station received reports of the fire at 1.45pm near the entrance to Wat Wongthep in Maha Son subdistrict, Ban Mi district, Lopburi province. Six fire engines from the Ban Mi Municipality and nearby areas were dispatched to the scene, where they found a single-story wooden house engulfed in flames. The fire threatened to spread to neighbouring homes, exacerbated by intermittent gusts of wind. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze within 40 minutes, preventing further devastation.
The homeowner, 63 year old Chin recounted the events with a heavy heart. The affected house served as a sleeping quarter for his son and daughter-in-law, a kitchen, a storage for three tractors, four engines, various electrical appliances, and agricultural tools. Chin had been out working in the fields since 8am, while his son was at work. He stated that the family had not been cooking or using electrical appliances when they left home.
Upon receiving a call from a neighbour alerting him about the fire, Chin rushed back to find his house in ruins. He promptly informed his son, Ek, who then contacted his wife. Ek’s wife revealed that she had hidden cash amounting to over 100,000 baht and gold worth five baht in the house as a new year surprise for her husband. She urged them to search for the valuables among the debris.
Despite the overwhelming destruction, Ek and the firefighters discovered two gold necklaces and two gold rings, valued at over 200,000 baht, mostly intact. Unfortunately, the cash was not as fortunate, having been consumed by the flames, reported KhaoSod.
Police have documented the scene, and further investigation by forensics is awaited to determine the exact cause of the fire. Preliminary assessments put the damage at over 1 million baht.
“It was a tragic loss, but we are grateful that no lives were harmed.”
