Fire in Samut Prakan Shop, Suspected Electrical Fault in Electric Tricycle Charging

Picture from responders.

At approximately 03:30 on 23 January, police from Bang Pu Police Station in Samut Prakan responded to a fire at a grocery shop located in Soi Bang Pu Municipality 123. Firefighters from Bang Pu Municipality deployed two fire engines to the scene to tackle the blaze.

The property, a two-storey house with the ground floor operating as a grocery shop, was engulfed in smoke as residents attempted to extinguish the fire using multiple portable fire extinguishers. Firefighters and locals worked together to pry open the locked electric shutter door, which had malfunctioned. Once inside, they managed to bring the fire under control.

The fire caused significant damage, including the complete destruction of an electric tricycle, damage to a black Mitsubishi pickup truck (registration from Bangkok), and the loss of goods and shelving inside the shop. One individual sustained minor injuries from glass shards but was able to drive themselves to the hospital after receiving first aid from rescue volunteers at the scene.

Mr. Ampol Saisuwan, the 78-year-old homeowner, explained that the house is occupied by four people. He was alerted to the fire by his daughter, who lives in an adjacent property. She reported hearing an explosion before noticing the fire and rushing to wake him. The fire appeared to have started in the area where he had been charging the battery of an electric tricycle overnight, a routine practice for him.

Authorities suspect an electrical short circuit caused by the charging process may have triggered the fire. Police documented the scene and interviewed the homeowner as part of their investigation.

-- 2025-01-24