A fire destroyed several old shop-houses next to the new market in Trakan Phuetpon, Ubon Ratchathani Province, early yesterday morning. The fire is said to have started at about 4 a.m. and took the life of an old woman sleeping in one of the shop-houses. News of the tragedy was current in Phana a few hours later. Trakan Phuetpon is a district town 19 kms to the east of Phana.
As is usual in most such fires, an electrical fault is said to have been the cause.
The pictures speak for themselves, I think. They were taken about 10 hours after the fire started, by which time everything was under control.
One of the shops was a gold-shop. Presumably the gold melted, but should have been recoverable. But was it? And who by?
A reliable source (thank you, Add) tells me that the gold was in a safe. Good thinking.
Posted by: Lawrence | 26 February 2010 at 09:44 AM
Lawrence a gold shop was a part of the mass blaze, sounds suspicious. There must have been Thai's swarming all over the site way before the flames were doused, then again, perhaps not. These fires happen often in the LOS and the businesses are usually 'full' of goods at the time. The insurance people have seen it all before.
Posted by: Martyn | 27 February 2010 at 02:23 AM
You're an old cynic way before your time, Martyn!
Posted by: Lawrence | 27 February 2010 at 06:52 AM
The old lady who died was the owner of the gold shop.The family have another shop in the old part of Ubon.Her funeral was on Friday,my wife went.She didn't set fire to the shop and kill herself for the insurance money.
Posted by: David Garner | 27 February 2010 at 08:46 AM
Thanks for that clarification, David. It didn't occur to me that she might have. I am sure the 'electrical fault' is indeed the cause of lots of these tragedies in old houses.
Posted by: Lawrence | 27 February 2010 at 09:48 AM
Lawrence and David - My apologies if my comment caused offence but at the time of writing it was meant rather tongue in cheek. These accidents do happen a lot in Thailand and I realize the old women would have had no part in it as indeed nobody else had.
My thoughts go out to the old lady and her family and once again my apologies for my remark.
Posted by: Martyn | 28 February 2010 at 01:41 AM
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day. It's always useful to read articles from other writers and use a little something from their sites.
Posted by: Luke | 15 November 2013 at 11:31 PM