A tragic fire occurred in a densely populated wooden housing community in Samut Prakan, resulting in the deaths of a grandmother and her 11-year-old granddaughter. They were found embracing under the collapsed remains of their home. The incident took place on October 20, 2024, when a fire broke out around 1:45 AM. Local police coordinated firefighting efforts and rescue support from multiple units.
The fire initially started in house number 192 and quickly spread to surrounding homes due to closely built structures. Firefighters faced challenges as they had to wait for electrical engineers to cut off the power before effectively combating the flames, which had grown intensely and caused several explosions.
Once the fire was contained after over an hour, the search for additional victims revealed the bodies of the grandmother, identified as Bua Thong Sitipanya, age 2024, and her granddaughter, Fa Sai Kanjanakul, age 11. Both had succumbed to the flames in their home.
The homeowner, Chamnada Kanjanakul, age 43, recounted that she was downstairs when the fire started, while her daughter and mother slept upstairs. A neighbor alerted her to the fire, and in her panic to escape through a window, she couldn’t save anyone else.
Her son, Naravit Kanjanakul, 16, confirmed he had left the house shortly before the fire and returned to see multiple homes already burning, but was unaware that his sister and grandmother were still in danger. He later learned of their tragic fate.
Police Superintendent Nopadol Changruan stated the fire originated from the victims’ house, with a total of seven homes affected—four completely destroyed and three partially damaged. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by forensic teams.
Following the incident, MP Panida Mongkolsawat visited the site, addressing the community’s concerns regarding the delayed response of fire services, which were hindered by the wait for power to be cut. She emphasized that effective measures must be discussed with local authorities to improve emergency response in the future.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.