Monday, January 05, 2009
Fire at Bangkok's Chinatown mall kills 1 (11: 08 a.m.)
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A blaze in a shopping and residential plaza in Bangkok's Chinatown district has killed one person and injured at least 38 others, police said Monday.
The fire broke out Sunday night at the Sua Pa Plaza, trapping a number of residents who attempted to reach the building's roof for evacuation by helicopters.
Police Col. Senit Samransamruadkit quoted witnesses as saying the fire broke out in a mobile telephone shop on the first floor and spread quickly.
The body of one man was found inside the building and 38 people were injured, he said. Earlier local press reports said that 47 people had been injured.
"The cause is not yet known. We are still investigating," the officer said.
"There were more than 100 residents trapped by the fire. However, we were able to evacuate all of them out of the building," Senit said. "Fifteen retreated to the rooftop. We had to use a helicopter to help them out. Large numbers escaped through the fire exit stairs and (with the help of firemen)."
The incident follows a New Year's Eve fire that killed at least 62 revelers at a jammed Bangkok nightclub, and the deaths of about 300 people in traffic accidents over the five-day holiday. (AP) |
