B5mn worth of damages in Phuket plant fire

PHUKET: A power controller at the Patong water treatment plant caught fire early Tuesday morning, causing an estimated 5 million baht worth of damages.

“Firefighters took 20 minutes to put out the blaze. Nearby locals reported a loud explosion, followed by smoke and flames from the plant,” said Patong Police chief Lt Col Weerapong Rakhito, who inspected the site soon after the incident.

Police believe the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in the power controller.

“For now, the municipality is coordinating with hotels in the area to treat their water supply with oxygen, until a new controller is purchased,” said Col Weerapong.

Purchasing a new controller is expected to take 10 days, Patong Municipality officials confirmed.

Officials are also coordinating with the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) office in Patong to supply power directly to the plant without a controller, until the new one is available.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong