Fire Engulfs 15 Shops, Destroys Vehicles: Bedridden Man Perishes in Blaze

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod.

A fire ripped through a row of 15 shops in Soi Lat Phrao 124, Wang Thonglang District, Bangkok, early this morning, destroying several motorcycles and cars and tragically claiming the life of a bedridden man who was unable to escape.

The incident occurred at approximately 02:45, when Lt. Phakphol Paiboonsombat, an investigator from Wang Thonglang Police Station, was alerted to the blaze engulfing multiple commercial structures. Firefighters from the Huamark Fire and Rescue Station rushed to the scene with three fire engines, accompanied medical personnel from the Police General Hospital, and volunteers from the Por Tek Tung Foundation.

The fire, which spread rapidly due to an explosion of a gas cylinder, caused extensive damage to the zinc-roofed shops that were built closely together. It took firefighters around 60 minutes to bring the flames under control, but not before significant damage had been done. The blaze destroyed 15 shops, with the fire also affecting nearby properties and vehicles.

Upon inspection, authorities discovered the charred remains of 38-year-old Mr. Niwat (surname withheld), a bedridden patient who had been trapped inside his family's Isan food stall. The fire also completely destroyed seven motorcycles at a nearby repair shop.

In addition to the motorcycles, four cars parked across the street sustained fire damage. Among them were an Isuzu Highlander pickup truck, a green-and-yellow Toyota Altis taxi, a white Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck, and a red Isuzu minibus.

Witnesses recounted harrowing moments as they fled the fire. Mr. Peerapong (surname withheld), a 31-year-old fried chicken vendor, described waking up in shock to find smoke filling his shop. Realising that a fire had broken out at a nearby chicken rice stall, he shouted for others to evacuate. 

Mr. Peerapong, his wife, and their 3-year-old son managed to escape, as did a middle-aged woman from a neighboring shop. However, despite the desperate efforts of the family who owned the Isan food stall, they were unable to rescue their bedridden son, who had been confined to bed for over a year.

Lt. Phakphol stated that the land where the shops stood had been rented out by the owner for approximately 3,000-4,000 baht per month. He confirmed that all 15 shops were completely destroyed by the fire, and that the cause is believed to be an electrical short circuit. Authorities are continuing their investigation with the help of forensic experts to confirm the exact cause of the fire.

-- 2024-09-09

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