Shoddy washing machine sparks fire in Pattaya

A fire broke out in a large housing estate in Pattaya last night when a clothes dryer caught fire in a home within the Ek Mongkol 4 community in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district. Emergency services and Pattaya’s Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue team quickly responded to the scene at at 9pm, yesterday, March 16, to contain the situation.
The fire originated in a two-storey house where smoke was seen emanating from the ground floor, causing panic among the residents and neighbours. The community rallied to extinguish the blaze using water and chemical fire extinguishers.
After the flames were put out and the smoke cleared, both firefighters and rescue officials conducted a thorough inspection of the premises. The dryer was found severely damaged, and other items in the house also had minor damages stemming from the fire.
Initial inquiries revealed that the homeowner was using the dryer normally when sparks and smoke suddenly emanated from the machine, rapidly resulting in flames. Neighbours responded promptly to calls for help, using fire extinguishers and water to control the fire.
Initial investigations conducted by police and firefighters suggested that the fire might have been caused by an electrical short circuit in the dryer. A more detailed investigation is yet to be carried out to determine the exact cause, reported KhaoSod.

In related news, a fire broke out on a boat carrying 28 tourists for a diving trip near Koh Tao, prompting an evacuation effort by the Royal Thai Navy‘s (RTN) Marine Department in Surat Thani province.
The incident occurred at 9.25am on March 16, when RTN Captain Natthaphon Sinphunphon, deputy director of the department, received an alert from Koh Tao’s rescue centre about a blaze in the boat’s engine room.
It caught fire while transporting the tourists to a diving site near the island, approximately 5 to 6 nautical miles away.