PHUKET: Both people listed as ''missing'' from the SuperCheap store blaze have been accounted for, Phuket Governor Maitree Intrusud said this afternoon.
''So far there have been no deaths,'' the governor said. He was responding to rumors that ''hundreds'' had died in the blaze on Wednesday night.
Some Australian news organisations even speculated that Australians could be among the dead - what's known in the media as a beat-up.
At least one Phuket expat journalist was bold enough to wrongly predict many deaths.
If any bodies are found under the tin that still covers part of the SuperCheap site, then they will be unexpected and unknown. That result is unlikely.
Speculation that because the fire was large the toll was likely to be large led to some poor journalism.
One year after the 2004 tsunami, journalists who now work for Phuketwan were able to point out that the Thai Government's official toll of deaths was out by about 3000.
The initial figure of missing was never revised. It included many ''missing'' who were later identified as being among the nameless bodies.
At the end of 12 months, instead of reconciling the missing and dead figures, the Thai Government officials just added them both together, giving Thailand a death toll of more than 8000 when the actual figure was 5400.
''So far there have been no deaths,'' the governor said. He was responding to rumors that ''hundreds'' had died in the blaze on Wednesday night.
Some Australian news organisations even speculated that Australians could be among the dead - what's known in the media as a beat-up.
At least one Phuket expat journalist was bold enough to wrongly predict many deaths.
If any bodies are found under the tin that still covers part of the SuperCheap site, then they will be unexpected and unknown. That result is unlikely.
Speculation that because the fire was large the toll was likely to be large led to some poor journalism.
One year after the 2004 tsunami, journalists who now work for Phuketwan were able to point out that the Thai Government's official toll of deaths was out by about 3000.
The initial figure of missing was never revised. It included many ''missing'' who were later identified as being among the nameless bodies.
At the end of 12 months, instead of reconciling the missing and dead figures, the Thai Government officials just added them both together, giving Thailand a death toll of more than 8000 when the actual figure was 5400.
I think it is a pleasant to surprise to all that there now appear to have been no human loss at all ... I am convinced that many that know the place thought, including myself, that oh my God, here there must have been casualties in high numbers.
Posted by Sailor on October 19, 2013 20:27
Editor Comment:
Guesswork, Sailor, which only goes to prove you didn't know the place at all . Speculation of that kind is always foolish and causes needless concern. Why visit Phuketwan if you prefer to take your own lame stab at the facts?