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Flames and smoke were visible all over Patong at the height of the blaze

Phuket Blaze Razes Shanties, Poor Patong Families Left Homeless

Monday, January 24, 2011
A LARGE fire ravaged a shanty town in Patong last night, forcing Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha to call in fire units from Phuket City as the blaze threatened to grow out of control.

About 40 families, mostly street vendors or egg-and-nuts salespeople, had their simple homes destroyed and were sheltered overnight at Patong's local council offices.

The search for accommodation for some of Patong's poorest citizens is expected to begin today in the aftermath of one of the biggest fires Phuket has seen. Officials were meeting this morning to try to provide the best possible housing for the displaced fire victims.

Patong Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao told Phuketwan: ''We saw the fire growing larger and larger and it was not being beaten, so we called to Major General Pekad Tantipong [Phuket Police Commander] and Governor Tri.''

The fire was eventually brought under control by two fire units from Patong, with the assistance of two more from Phuket City. Volunteers joined in to douse the blaze. Noticed at 9am, it was still smouldering an hour later.

The blaze razed corrugated shelters across about one rai in Soi Boontham, near Suwankiriwong school, not far from Patong's landmark temple t-intersection.
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Comments

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Why did Patong not send more units ???? They have more then 6 firetrucks !
Or they where busy doing something else ?` Why the hell have so many trucks when not use them.

Posted by peter on January 24, 2011 16:35

Editor Comment:

Normally a fire station would have a number of trucks but it might not have crews to man those trucks on duty 24 hours a day.

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Phuket is expensive, live or die here, you are expendable.
Sorry for your loss.

Posted by Robin on January 25, 2011 11:20

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The Patong Rotary Club has approved a B 50,000 emergency fund, and collected B 6,300 to date, to help the people who lost their homes. We're buying mosquito netting and waterproof mattresses today, and will take them with donated clothes to the site this afternoon.

If anyone would like to help us, we've designated a Rotary Charity account for relief donations: Bangkok Bank account 563-0-64310-3.

Posted by Woody Leonhard on January 26, 2011 13:51


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