18-year-old Phuket cashier still missing after SuperCheap inferno
PHUKET: An 18-year-old Phuket cashier and one other woman are still missing after the SuperCheap megastore burned to the ground on Wednesday night (story here).
Eleven formal missing person complaints have been filed since the blaze.
“So far, 10 of the ‘missing people’ have been found. The only person who remains on our list is Thanaporn Sammanit, 46. The complaint was filed by Ms Thanaporn’s friends, and they were unsure if she was shopping at SuperCheap that day,” said a staffer at the SuperCheap information center today.
Not on the list is the 18-year-old cashier, Siriporn Khunpetthongrat, who was working that night.
Ms Siriporn’s mother, Anong Khunpetthongrat, stood outside the smoldering remains of the building early Thursday morning looking for her daughter. She told the Phuket Gazette that she had filed a formal missing person report for her daughter.
“I have reported her missing to officials. I will go check with them again this afternoon,” Ms Anong told the Gazette today, her voice shaking. “I have not yet found her. I have tried calling her phone, but cannot reach her.”
The SuperCheap information center staffer said that she did not have Ms Siriporn’s name on their list, but would add it.
The Gazette has made repeated efforts to contact SuperCheap owner Boonsom Anantajaroonwong to confirm whether the company has checked that all store employees working the night of the fire have been accounted for. After three days, Mr Boonsom has yet to release any statement concerning the wellness and safety of employees working that night.
— Orawin Narabal
