Massive Fire Rages Through Bangkok

[george]

Fire rages through Bangkok slum

BANGKOK: -- A massive fire has broken out in a poor neighbourhood of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, forcing residents to flee into the streets with their belongings.

The BBC's Kylie Morris in Bangkok says the slum area is located near a wealthy neighbourhood, housing many embassies - no damage to these has been reported.

The area is near the Australian and German embassies and several five star hotels, says Reuters.

Some 200 two-storey wooden houses were ablaze, local radio said.

"The flames look huge but they seem to be confined to one spot," said Sima Srimueng, a houseworker who lives nearby. "All the smoke is scary."

Fire trucks arrived at the scene, where desperate residents could be seen carrying out the contents of their homes, making it difficult for fire trucks to navigate the narrow streets.

Residents were spraying homes with water from garden hoses to stop the fire from spreading.

There is no word on any casualties so far, but fire trucks and emergency vehicles are arriving at the scene.

The fire raced through a slum in downtown Bangkok on Friday, snarling traffic and spewing plumes of black smoke over embassies and five-star hotels in the area, officials said. There were no initial reports of injuries.

Some 50 houses in the densely populated Suan Plu neighborhood caught fire by mid-afternoon, said Sathorn district administrator Prasarn Bamrungphan. There are about 200 wooden houses and corrugated steel shacks in the area.

Firefighters had difficulty reaching the area and feared strong winds could spread the blaze to nearby buildings, including a police and immigration center and luxury apartment complexes. There are embassies and five-star hotels in the area, but not in the immediate vicinity.

Police ordered the evacuation of two five-story apartment buildings where officers live, one of which had caught fire, firefighter Col. Wichai Krawatanasiri said.

``The fire is getting worse and has engulfed a police apartment building,'' he said.

Hundreds of people, some of them weeping, watched from sidewalks as huge plumes of black smoke rose above the neighborhood. Some residents ran from their homes clutching personal belongings such as television sets, computers and pets.

``We didn't have time to get anything out,'' said Cang-on Porang, a 48-year-old housewife. ``The smoke just started rising.''

Chaingam Kiewsaad, 33, said she fled her house when the fire spread nearby. ``It's probably all gone,'' she said, sobbing. ``I couldn't get anything out. Even my car is in there.''

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

--BBC/Reuters/Agencies 2004-04-23

[george]

Fire destroys more than 200 homes in central Bangkok, 7,000 residents homeless

BANGKOK: Fire engulfed a slum area in central Bangkok on Friday, destroying more than 200 homes and leaving 7,000 residents homeless.

Huge bellows of smoke fogged Bangkok skies when a major blaze forced nearly 7,000 residents to be evacuated.

The fire spanned 3 square blocks in central Bangkok, near the Australian and German embassies.

Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers and nearly 30 fire trucks fought the blaze but the fire destroyed more than 200 wooden houses.

It also claimed three storeys of a nearby apartment block occupied by police officers.

The fire was finally brought under control after more than three hours and the damage is estimated at some US$3 million.

Fortunately, the blaze did not claim any lives, although some residents were hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire hasn't been confirmed, but investigators suspect it might be due to a cooking gas tank left out in the burning sun.

Eyewitnesses also reported a small explosion shortly before the blaze started.

Shelters have been set up for the almost 7,000 victims left homeless by the fire. -

-- CNA 2004-04-23

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