Bedridden Swiss man dies in Pattaya room fire
A 79 year old Swiss man died in a room fire at a rental property in Pong subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, yesterday, April 11, with police suspecting a cigarette butt may have caused the blaze.
Police were alerted to the fire at 6.06am in Soi Huai Yai Muk, Moo 6, and responded with firefighters from Pong Municipality and volunteers from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue foundation in Pattaya.
The property was a row of rental rooms occupied by several foreign residents, most of them elderly.
The fire was concentrated in room No. 6, where flames were burning intensely, and smoke had spread across the area. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading and brought it under control in about 30 minutes.
After the fire was extinguished, officers found the body of the Swiss national on a bed inside the room. Police sealed off the area while investigators examined the scene.
A neighbour, identified as 31 year old Nan, said the man lived alone and was bedridden, with a carer visiting from time to time.
She said he often smoked in bed, leading people nearby to suspect a cigarette butt may have started the fire.
Another neighbour, 41 year old Somporn, said she was asleep when she noticed the smell of smoke. When she opened her door, she saw flames coming from the room and tried to help but was unable to get inside because the fire was too intense, so she called for help.
Siam Chon News reported that investigators from Nong Prue Police Station documented the scene and called in forensic officers to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Police said the initial assumption was that a cigarette butt ignited the blaze, while the victim was unable to escape because he was bedridden. Rescue workers were assigned to transfer the body to hospital pending contact from relatives.
Similarly, holidaymakers were left scrambling for safety after a fire erupted in a Jomtien condominium. The blaze reportedly started in the kitchen area, near several electrical appliances. Emergency crews quickly brought the situation under control.
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