Three Thai workers killed in South Korean fire

Seoul - Three manual labourers from Thailand died in a fire early Monday at their shack in a village in South Korea, police said.

The unidentified Thais were killed after their home in a converted shipping container caught fire at Yanggu in Gangwon province on the east coast.

"We noticed the place was on fire during a regular patrol of the village and called firefighters," a policeman was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.

"Upon entering the house after the fire was extinguished, we found three bodies burnt beyond recognition."

It took 50 minutes for firefighters to control the blaze, police said, adding they were trying to identify the dead and establish the cause of the fire.

Source: The Nation - 30 April 2007

Two of three Thais killed in a fire in South Korea are identified

Labour Ministry identified on Monday two of three Thai workers who were killed in a fire at their shack in South Korea.

Supat Kukhun, director of office of Thai workers in foreign countries, said that the victims were Wutthichai Suktawee of Chaiyaphum and Opart whose surname was not known. Police is still identifying the third victim.

The three were killed after a container they lived in caught fire at Yanggu in Gangwon province on the east coast.

South Korean police said they noticed the place was on fire during a regular patrol of the village and called firefighters. They found the bodies that were burnt beyond recognition Upon entering the house after the fire was extinguished, we found three bodies burnt beyond recognition."

It took 50 minutes for firefighters to control the blaze, police said, adding they were trying to identify the dead and establish the cause of the fire.

However Supat said that the three had been illegally working as daily worker in a farm in South Korea for five years and had lived in the container for a while. The Thai Embassy in Seoul was alerted of the plight by their employer who refused to identify himself.

Wutthichai had legally worked in South Korea four years ago but broke the contract. He then lived and worked as illegal worker in the country.

Despite being the illegal workers, the ministry will compensate family of each victim not over Bt40,000.

Source: The Nation - 30 April 2007