Italian couple return home to find Phuket rental house on fire

PHUKET: A short circuit started a fire in the Cherng Talay rental house of an Italian couple yesterday, damaging their bedroom.

Antonino Raneri, 54, and his wife Claudia Crescini Laffranchini, 56, were out when the blaze started on Soi Bangtao 11.

“At about 5pm my wife and I came home and saw smoke coming from the house,” said Mr Raneri. “We went inside and saw that there was a fire in our bedroom.”

The couple ran outside just as Decha Korlek, the village headman, was passing by, and called for help.

Mr Decha summoned firefighters.

“A fire truck from Cherng Talay Administration Organization [OrBorTor] was called in. It took about 20 minutes to put out the fire,” said Lt Peerasit Nhupayan of Cherng Talay Police.

Police believe the cause was a short circuit, Lt Peerasit said.

The owner of the house is covering the cost of the damage and has relocated the Italian couple to another house until theirs is repaired, he added.

— Thawit Bilabdullar