‘Hallucinating’ arson suspect arrested after two killed in fire

By Kornkamon Aksorndech 
The Nation

 

 

A 44-year-old security guard was arrested for alleged arson after a shop burned down in Bangkok’s Pom Prab Sattru Phai district on Sunday morning, killing two people.

 

An arrest warrant was issued on Sunday for Nakhon Sawan native Samruay Paisal on a charge of arson causing the death of others. 

 

He reportedly was an alcoholic who suffered from hallucinations that someone was trying to kill him and carried a knife for “protection”, police said. 

 

Samruay was accused of pouring gasoline onto piles of clothes to start a fire in the five-storey wholesale clothes shop in Soi Lan Luang 8. He reportedly was drunk and believed people were after him when he heard footsteps in the building. 

 

After an interrogation, he reportedly confessed to igniting the fire due to a hallucination at about 1am on Sunday. Although he later attempted to extinguish the flames, the fire spread quickly and killed worker Boonthon Meesap, 45, and his wife Samran Thablaksilpa, 42, who were sleeping on the building’s top floor. The fire damage was estimated at Bt23 million. 

 

The building was initially sealed for inspection for 15 days after the fire amid fears it might collapse.

 

On Monday, the engineering authority inspected the site and said the structure was still intact and could be repaired.

 

They also told the building owner to add fire exits and other measures to meet safety requirements.

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-30

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