6-1-2024 (BANGKOK) A devastating fire erupted in a three-storey residential building in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district on Saturday, resulting in the destruction of 16 houses and causing injuries to two individuals.
The incident unfolded at Nawamin Soi 24 and was reported to the police at 6.50 am, as disclosed by Pol Lt Treenaet Suwannang, the deputy investigation officer at the Bueng Kum station. Flames and thick smoke were initially spotted on the third floor of the building before swiftly spreading to neighbouring residences. Firefighters battled the blaze for approximately 30 minutes before gaining control.
An initial assessment revealed that a total of 16 houses were impacted, with eight of them sustaining severe damage. Two individuals residing in one of the houses suffered burns on their back and arms and were promptly transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Following interviews with witnesses, Pol Lt Treenaet revealed that residents in the building where the fire originated regularly conducted religious rituals in a shrine room. The owner, an approximately 80-year-old individual with impaired hearing, is frequently visited by followers. According to witnesses, the elderly owner, who slept on the first floor, assumed a power outage had occurred. Concerned neighbours, upon inspection, discovered the fire in the shrine room.
The homeowner informed the police that his last visit to the shrine room was on Friday. The authorities are currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze, as the community grapples with the aftermath of the destructive fire in Bueng Kum.
