Bangkok –
At least two people are confirmed dead and six people, including firefighting volunteers, suffered the effects of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in the Sampeng market near Bangkok’s Chinatown yesterday, June 26th.
The fire had reportedly started after an old transformer exploded at about 11:20 AM. before reaching nearby gas cylinders of a food vendor, causing an explosion and instantly killing the unidentified vendor.
The fire then quickly spread to a 3-story commercial building, located behind the transformer, and another six shophouses nearby, forcing vendors and residents to flee the scene. Firefighters, along with 20 firetrucks, and Chakrawat district police officers rushed to the scene to extinguish the large fire.
The first fatality, the food cart vendor, whose sex, nationality, and age were still under investigation, was found dead during the firefighting operations. Another body was later found in a burned shophouse. According to the Traffic Police, six people, most of them firefighting volunteers, suffered smoke inhalation during the firefighting operations and were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha also expressed his condolences to friends and families of the fatalities and ordered relevant authorities to investigate the structure of the building and other damages as well as examine electrical appliances and equipment during hot weather as a short circuit may occur.
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