Fire trucks arrive 9 hours late

Fire trucks arrive 9 hours late

The Sai Yok home of Saiyud Jampa-in was reduced to ashes hours before fire trucks even arrived. (Photo by Picharach Chongcharoen)
The Sai Yok home of Saiyud Jampa-in was reduced to ashes hours before fire trucks even arrived. (Photo by Picharach Chongcharoen)

KANCHANABURI — A local resident was left homeless after a fire gutted her house late Friday night and fire trucks arrived nine hours after she called.

Saiyud Jampa-in, 47, broke into tears as she surveyed her home, now reduced to ash, in tambon Thasao on Saturday.

She said the fire erupted at her house around 11.30pm on Friday. She immediately telephoned the Thasao tambon administration organisation and the nearby Sai Yok Noi tambon administration. However, she received no answer at either office.

She and her neighbours then called the 199 hotline of the Muang Kanchanaburi fire department. The firefighter who answered told her that Sai Yok was not in the station's jurisdiction and he could not coordinate a response to the blaze.

With no help available, her house burned to the ground within four hours.

Fire trucks from the Thasao tambon administration organisation arrived at 8.30am on Saturday, she said.

"It's too late to douse the fire. Nothing is left for me. My house, belongings, household items and my motorcycle were completely burned," said Mrs Saiyud.

"If officials work like this, who can local residents turn to for help?"

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