Tree falls on roti shop during thunderstorm, killing 9 year old boy
A heavy thunderstorm caused a tree to fall on a roti shop in the central province of Ayutthaya yesterday, September 11, leading to the death of a nine year old Thai boy. His four year old cousin and their grandparents narrowly survived the incident.
Officers from Lad Bua Luang Police Station and rescuers from the Ayutthaya Ruamjai Foundation rushed to the damaged roti shop on Bang Bua Thong-Suphanburi Road after receiving the report of the tragic death of the nine year old boy, Naphat.
Upon investigating the scene, officers found Naphat lying lifeless under the fallen tamarind tree. Rescuers used a chainsaw to cut parts of the tree to retrieve the boy’s body. He suffered multiple severe wounds across his body, and his arms and legs were broken.
Naphat’s grandparents and four year old cousin managed to evade the falling tree without injury. The 53 year old grandfather, Udon, told the police that Naphat came to the shop to help him after school.
Udon explained that the rain and storm were very heavy. He and his wife were on the second floor of the shop, while the two young boys were on the ground floor. They were closing the shop when the tree suddenly fell on them.
In a related report, a large tree on the roadside in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom fell on a black sedan on September 6. Fortunately, the driver, 43 year old Kritsana Wannatip, survived without any injuries. Witnesses came to help remove her from the completely damaged car.
Kritsana revealed in an interview with Amarin TV that she parked the car in the left lane of the road and stepped out to talk on the phone on the footpath. However, the heavy rain prompted her to rush back into her car. Immediately after getting in, the tree fell on the vehicle.
Two branches struck the back and the front left side of the car. Kritsana, who was seated in the driver’s seat on the right-hand side, was not hit by the branches. She added that the car did not belong to her but to a relative.
