RAYONG – Seven people, including three small children, were killed when fire destroyed their house early on Thursday.
Police and rescuers were called at about 2.20am to the scene in a housing estate in tambon Tha Pradu of Muang district, according to Pol Lt Col Chaikrit Taurat, an inspector at the Muang Rayong police station.
A fire truck from Rayong municipality office was deployed to the scene. Firefighters encountered flames engulfing house No. 66/16 and spreading to three others, police said.
The house where the fire originated was destroyed, and seven dead bodies were discovered inside. They were one man and three women, aged 29-57, and three children aged under 3.
It took about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Residents of the other affected houses were injured from inhaling smoke and were taken to hospital.
The chief of Muang Rayong district, Anusorn Sangkla, said the cause was believed to have been a short circuit,
The victims appeared to have been sleeping on the second floor and tried unsuccessfully to escape after the fire started, as some of them were found at a bedroom door, he said.