Fire tears through Phuket worker camp, forcing more than 500 to flee
A fire at a worker camp in Phuket's Thalang district forced more than 500 residents to flee after midnight, with firefighters taking over an hour to control the blaze.
A large fire swept through a worker camp in Thalang district just after midnight, forcing more than 500 residents to evacuate, according to the Phuket Express.
The blaze broke out at 12:15 a.m. opposite the Ban Bang Jo water production station in Sri Sunthorn subdistrict, Phuket. Firefighters said the camp covered more than one rai and was enclosed by corrugated iron sheets, with rows of tightly packed dormitories near a residential community.
Emergency crews arrived to find high flames, thick black smoke and intermittent explosions. Workers rushed to escape and tried to save belongings as families fled the area.
Fire crews from Sri Sunthorn Municipality, Cherng Talay Municipality and the Cherng Talay Subdistrict Administrative Organization responded with more than 10 fire engines and seven water cannons. They attacked the fire from several directions to stop it spreading to nearby homes.
After more than an hour, firefighters brought the blaze under control. Police initially suspect an electrical short circuit, but forensic investigators from Phuket Province have been called in to examine the scene. Authorities are assessing damage and losses.
