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PHUKET: A fire in a transformer could not possibly have started the blaze that killed four people in a Phuket disco early on Friday, Patong's chief electrical officer said today.
''We have examined the transformer near the disco in Soi Bangla and there is no sign of a fire,'' said Athipong Thongyon, manager of the Patong Office of the Phuket Electrical Authority.
''Even if by some chance that tranformer had caught fire, the flames would have to leap more than 20 metres to the disco building.''
Khun Athipong called a media conference today in Patong to reject comments by the owners of the charred discotheque and Patong police that a lightning strike or an explosion in the transformer sparked the deadly blaze.
A check of street security cameras also produced no blast, he said.
A spokesman for the Meteorological Department on Phuket, contacted separately by Phuketwan, said that there was a heavy tropical storm over Patong early on Friday morning.
But he said any connection between a Phuket storm and the Tiger Disco blaze was imaginary.
''Storms do not affect transformers,'' he said. ''Transformers around the world are all the same. Police are crazy if they believe that story.''
A spokesman for the owners of the Tiger Disco said yesterday that patrons were sheltering from a storm, which is why tourists and Thais were still at the nightclub after the official 2am closing time.
However, Kusoldharm Foundation paramedics told Phuketwan they were called to the blaze at 3.55am.
Eleven people were treated for injuries at Patong Hospital after the blaze. Only two were admitted.
Nudang Pramangkata, 42, a member of the disco staff who was trodden on in the panic for the exit, will be released later today, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
Frenchman Benjamin Tallanotte, 30, who suffered second degree burns to 40 percent of his body, was transferred yesterday to the intensive care unit at Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City.
A spokesperson at the Phuket City hospital today declined to provide any update to the media about his condition.
Mr Tallanotte, his wife and one-year-old daughter were coming to the end of a one-month Asian travelling holiday with his wife's brother and sister, and a niece and nephew.
The badly-burned bodies of the four dead victims are expected to be taken to Bangkok later today where they will be autopsied.
DNA samples will be taken so that their identities can be determined.
It is believed the four are a Frenchman, a Japanese man and two Thai women. One of the female victims could be a transgender person.
Patong police are continuing an investigation into the cause of the blaze, which has been reported widely around the world.
''We have examined the transformer near the disco in Soi Bangla and there is no sign of a fire,'' said Athipong Thongyon, manager of the Patong Office of the Phuket Electrical Authority.
''Even if by some chance that tranformer had caught fire, the flames would have to leap more than 20 metres to the disco building.''
Khun Athipong called a media conference today in Patong to reject comments by the owners of the charred discotheque and Patong police that a lightning strike or an explosion in the transformer sparked the deadly blaze.
A check of street security cameras also produced no blast, he said.
A spokesman for the Meteorological Department on Phuket, contacted separately by Phuketwan, said that there was a heavy tropical storm over Patong early on Friday morning.
But he said any connection between a Phuket storm and the Tiger Disco blaze was imaginary.
''Storms do not affect transformers,'' he said. ''Transformers around the world are all the same. Police are crazy if they believe that story.''
A spokesman for the owners of the Tiger Disco said yesterday that patrons were sheltering from a storm, which is why tourists and Thais were still at the nightclub after the official 2am closing time.
However, Kusoldharm Foundation paramedics told Phuketwan they were called to the blaze at 3.55am.
Eleven people were treated for injuries at Patong Hospital after the blaze. Only two were admitted.
Nudang Pramangkata, 42, a member of the disco staff who was trodden on in the panic for the exit, will be released later today, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
Frenchman Benjamin Tallanotte, 30, who suffered second degree burns to 40 percent of his body, was transferred yesterday to the intensive care unit at Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City.
A spokesperson at the Phuket City hospital today declined to provide any update to the media about his condition.
Mr Tallanotte, his wife and one-year-old daughter were coming to the end of a one-month Asian travelling holiday with his wife's brother and sister, and a niece and nephew.
The badly-burned bodies of the four dead victims are expected to be taken to Bangkok later today where they will be autopsied.
DNA samples will be taken so that their identities can be determined.
It is believed the four are a Frenchman, a Japanese man and two Thai women. One of the female victims could be a transgender person.
Patong police are continuing an investigation into the cause of the blaze, which has been reported widely around the world.
Only in LOS...First you would think management would take a look at the said transformer for good evidence that they could use that as an excuse for the deadly fire..FAIL!!
Then to explain why patrons were there at 3.55 , and not as he originally claimed the fire was at 2.00 am...drum roll>>>>."sheltering from the storm"...awesome!! Of course they were....They really think people will believe these statements......
Posted by davidj949 on August 18, 2012 11:52