Fridge on the fritz blamed for apartment blaze

PHUKET: A short-circuiting fridge is believed to have sparked a fire that gutted an apartment at Salabua Mansion Apartments in Wichit last night.

The apartment’s occupant, Kriangkrai Suthammetha, 50, discovered his third-floor room was ablaze when he returned from an errand just after 6pm, Wichit Police Lt Patcharee Wongboon told the Gazette.

Firefighters from the Wichit office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation took about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

Everything inside the apartment room was destroyed, however no one was injured in the blaze.

“The room belongs to Mr Kriangkrai’s mother but there was no one inside the apartment when the fire started,” said Lt Patcharee.

“We believe a short circuit in the refrigerator may have caused the fire,” he added.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong