69-Year-Old Rice Farmer Dies in Field Fire

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

Authorities have confirmed the death of 69-year-old Mr Praumuan, whose body was found charred in his rice field near a bamboo grove in Namsom district, Udon Thani province.

 

At approximately 16:30 on 10 March, Police Sergeant Warathep Lothan of the Nam Som Police Station was alerted to a report concerning an agricultural fire in the Thung Narim Lam Huai Som area, near Wat Lao Sakram in Ban Nam Song, Moo 8, Si Samran. Accompanied by local administrative officials, medical personnel from Nam Som Hospital, and highway rescue volunteers, officers arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.

 

Mr Praumuan, a local rice farmer whose fields had yielded a promising harvest this season, had been preparing his land for the upcoming dry season. He had arranged for a tractor to plough over the rice straw piled on his field, but the machinery was unable to operate due to the hard ground conditions. According to witnesses, Mr Praumuan had left home early that morning, stating he was heading to his rice field. When he failed to return by the evening, concerned relatives visited the field and discovered his burnt body near a clump of bamboo.

 

A preliminary examination by attending doctors revealed extensive burns, but no signs of external wounds. Officers believe that Mr Praumuan died as a result of the spreading fire, although it remains under investigation whether the blaze was accidental or if he had deliberately set the straw alight.

 

This incident is the first fire-related fatality reported in Udon Thani this year, a region that experiences recurring incidents of open-field fires. Local authorities noted that the occurrence of such events has generally decreased compared to previous years.

 

-- 2025-03-11