BREAKING: 10-year-old boy among dead in Phuket Town fire

[Lite Beer]

BREAKING: 10-year-old boy among dead in Phuket Town fire
Eakkapop Thongtub
 

 
PHUKET: Four people died and a fifth is injured after the Chokchai furniture shop on Srisutthat Rd in Phuket Town caught fire at 2am early this morning (August 2).
 
Among the dead is a 9-year-old boy as firefighters took one and a half hours to put down the large blaze. The four people who died - all of the them workers - were trapped on the third floor of the three-storey building, firefighters say.
 
One man who was stuck on the second floor of the building managed to get to safety by jumping to through a window onto the first floor, breaking his leg. The man was sent to Vachira Hospital for treatment, according to emergency rescue workers from Kusoldharn Foundation.
 
Initial reports indicate that the fire may have started because of an electrical short on the first floor and spread throughout the building within minutes, facilitated by the amount of wooden and plastic chairs, tables, and other furniture that was on each floor in the large shop. 
 
An investigation into the blaze is currently under way to determine the exact cause. 
Gov. Maitri Inthusut was at the scene at about 9am today (August 2) to survey the damage.
 
More details to come. 
 
The fire is the biggest in Phuket since the Tiger Bar and Disco complex on Patong's Bangla Rd. took the lives of four people and injured 11 others back in August 2012.

That blaze was initially reported to have started because of an explosion on the electrical transformer just outside the establishment. The owners of the famed club were charged with negligence.
 

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/breaking-10-year-old-boy-among-dead-in-phuket-town-fire-47652.php
 
[pn]2014-08-02[/pn]

[horsewell]

Very sad to read.

[Lite Beer]

Family of three and maid perish in furniture shop fire
 

 

PHUKET: -- Four people died of suffocation and the shop owner injured when a fire broke out at a three-storey row shophouse in downtown Phuket early Saturday.

 

The owner of the furniture shophouse Chokechai Furniture, Mrs Chanhorm Chakaeo, broke her hand and legs when she jumped down from the third floor room to escape the fire.

Rescue team rushed to pick her on the ground. She told the team four persons were still trapped in the room next to hers.

But firemen could not break into the room because of the raging fire and thick smoke coming out from the room.
Besides all the windows of the room were fixed with anti-theft iron grills, thus preventing them to escape.

The fire was put out and kept under control two hours later by about 19 fire engines.

Rescue team searched the room and found three bodies on the bed, with the man falling over the body of his wife who hugged her 9-year-old son in her arms.

Another woman lied dead on the floor near the grill window.

Their bodies were not burned and they were believed to die from suffocation.

The three bodies of the same family were identified as Mongkol Ruangchai, 43, his wife Nucharee Saengprakhone, 43, and their son Theerawat Ruangchai.

The woman on the floor was the maid.

Police suspected electrical short circuit was the cause of the fire with initial damage estimated at about 10 million baht.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/family-three-maid-perish-furniture-shop-fire/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=family-three-maid-perish-furniture-shop-fire

 

[thaipbs]2014-08-02[/thaipbs]

[CroBiker]

 

The fire is the biggest in Phuket since the Tiger Bar and Disco complex on Patong's Bangla Rd.

 

I thought Supercheap fire was the biggest island ever seen.

[LivinginKata]

Thai newspapers reporting that the fire engine had no water and there was a long delay sourcing a water supply.

[catweazle]

 

 

The fire is the biggest in Phuket since the Tiger Bar and Disco complex on Patong's Bangla Rd.

 

I thought Supercheap fire was the biggest island ever seen.

 

 

Both - the biggest fire and the biggest it starts with c and ends with a p... rhymes to buttercup...
 

[catweazle]

R.I.P. to the victims and condolences to family and friends. Poor 9 year old boy had to die because any nutcake who can spell his name is allowed to call himself "electrician" and work as such in Thailand. I have seen electrics on dive boats that would make you cream your pants just by looking at them. It's a miracle that so little electrical fires happen in Thailand. By the looks of it half the country should be on fire... But implying stiffer safety measures and enforcing them on their own public is so much more difficult than enforcing visa laws and driving the bad, bad "Farangs" out of the country. The story of the empty fire truck adds to the sense of safety any tourist might get here lately... Thailand sure is heading into the right direction if hitting an iceberg is what they intend to...

Edited August 2, 2014 by catweazle

[Guest]

I really do not like this "Wonderful, 10 years old kid got burned  - now we'll get a great headline to the newspaper" -phenomena. 

 

The Phuket News as well as other news outlets: Please stop abusing tragedies for your own click gain. Do report the events. Stop making the sellable headlines. Thank you. 

 

 

[LucidLucifer]

So sad, and I bow to the brave firefighters. There are many on TV that are so anti the 'nanny' state of western countries, yet (in many cases) it often saves lives.

 

Surely that must be the most important thing?

[ronthai]

RIP

[Lite Beer]

Three adults and boy, 10, killed by fire in furniture store in Phuket
The Sunday Nation 
 

PHUKET: -- Four people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed in a fire at a furniture store in Phuket's Muang district yesterday.

Police suspect a short-circuit caused this fire around 2am and reportedly spread from the ground floor to the second and then the third floor.

The shop's owner, Chanhom Chakkaew, 51, jumped from the second floor to escape the fire and broke an arm and a leg.

It took firefighters with five trucks over two hours to control the blaze. They found the four bodies - identified as Mongkol Reunchai, 45, Nucharee Reunchai, 42, Theerawat Reunchai, 10, and Thanya Kannapat, 32 - on the third floor.

In related news, there was a fire at a Thai Kwang Lung factory, which manufactures coconut fibre for export furniture, in Chumphon's Lang Suan district yesterday at about 1pm.

It is believed sparks from an overheated machine caused the fire. Damage was estimated at Bt10 million.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Three-adults-and-boy-10-killed-by-fire-in-furnitur-30240111.html

 

[thenation]2014-08-03[/thenation]

[thaigirlwatcher]

I followed the aftermath of the fire in Tiger Disco closely after the tragic event since I had gone there myself on several occasions. The fire in Tiger Disco was proven to be caused by an electrical fire from an overloaded light assembly in the dancing area. It spread to the foam objects that surrounded the stage. They were made of non approved material and actually fueled the fire. There were photos posted BRIEFLY in the Gazette of the light fixture but it quickly disappeared e never to be seen again. Photos of the four badly charred bodies next to smiling policemen were also posted briefly then also disappeared from the online pages within hours. There was an investigation but the coverup started in earnest in the subsequent days. Four people died in the fire. It was more of a case of manslaughter than "negligence." None of the Thai owners was changed with serious crimes. The New Tiger was built and the past was quickly forgotten by almost everyone...except me. I had been to Patong 10X before the fire but I will never return. The complete disregard for human life and the corruption on that island is appalling. I travel elsewhere in Thailand now. 

[Lite Beer]

Probe reveals what happened inside shop during deadly Phuket fire

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

 

PHUKET: Forensic police have learned more details on what happened inside the Chokchai Furniture shop when a fire killed four people, including a 10-year-old boy at 2am on Saturday (August 2).

Probe reveals what happened inside shop during deadly Phuket fire
The 51-year-old furniture shop owner, Mrs Janhom Jakkaew, jumped out from the second floor and broke her arm and leg. She is currently in Bangkok Hospital receiving treatment.

At about 8am Saturday morning (August 2) Gov Maitri Inthusut, along with Pol Maj Gen Krajang Suwannarat, Deputy Commander from Police Region 8, and rescue workers from Kusoldharn Foundation surveyed the damage at 8am.

After questioning relatives and checking through the wreckage, police learned that the dead three of the dead individuals were part of the owner's family and sleeping in the third floor when the fire began.

The dead include:

Mr Mongkon Ruanchai, 43 – shop manager

Mrs Nutjaree Saengprakone, 43, wife of shop manager

Teerawut Ruanchai, 10 – adopted son of the owner

Ms Chatchaya Kanpat, 59, friend of the owners

On the night, Mr Mongkon, Mrs Nutjaree and the boy were embracing each other on the bed during the blaze.

The building, which sits on Srisutthat Rd, had been rented by Mrs Janhom for 10 years. She assigned her family member, Mr Mongkon, who lived in Ranong, to come and check the inventory of the furniture shop once a month.

Every time he came, he would come with his family and stayed on the third floor.

Mrs Rofia Ninsawit, 44, the sister-in-law of the shop owner, told police that the fire happened when everyone was sleeping on the third floor of the building. Mrs Janhom woke up because she smelled the smoke and tried to call everyone, telling them to find a way out.

Mrs Janhom decided to hit the glass window on the second floor in order to see out and thought someone was following her to safety so she jumped. A police officer just outside the building said he heard someone shouting from the building and saw fire, which is when firefighters were called.

Police are still investigating the exact cause and origin of the large blaze.

The fire is the biggest in Phuket since the Tiger Bar and Disco complex on Patong's Bangla Rd. took the lives of four people and injured 11 others back in August 2012.

That blaze was initially reported to have started because of an explosion on the electrical transformer just outside the establishment. The owners of the famed club were charged with negligence.

 

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/probe-reveals-what-happened-inside-shop-during-deadly-phuket-fire-47669.php

 

[pn]2014-08-02[/pn]

[webfact]

Fire breaks out again in Phuket death blaze shop
Darawan Naknakhon


A firefighter hoses down the room in the furniture store where flames once again broke out today.

PHUKET: -- Neighbours of the Chokchai furniture shop where four people died in a blaze on Friday night called the fire brigade this morning (Aug 4) at 9:30 after they saw smoke once again coming out of the second floor of the building.

Firefighters again entered the building on Srisuthat Rd where they found a small fire in a pile of mattresses in one of the bedrooms. It was swiftly extinguished, but it was decided to keep a watch on the place in case any other remaining hotspots burst into flame.

In the early hours of Saturday four people, including the shop manager and his wife, the 10-year-old adopted sone of the owner and a friend of the owner died in the first fire at the shop.

Meanwhile, at 2:30 in the afternoon, firefighters responded to a call from the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town where fire damaged a corridor on the fifth floor, in an area where renovation is currently underway.

No one was in the room at the time and there were no casualties.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/fire-breaks-out-again-in-phuket-death-blaze-shop-47691.php

[pn]2014-08-05[/pn]