Fire razes border furniture factory

Fire razes border furniture factory

Flames devour the furniture factory immediately across the border from Sangkhlaburi district of Kanchanburi province early on Thursday.(Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)
Flames devour the furniture factory immediately across the border from Sangkhlaburi district of Kanchanburi province early on Thursday.(Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)

KANCHANABURI -- Fire detroyed a wooden-furniture factory owned by a Thai businessman in Myanmar's Phaya Tongsu district, just across the border from Sangkhlaburi district in Kanchanburi, early on Thursday.

The factory, owned by Porn-anan Toyai, aka Sia Let, is located on three rai of land on the Myanmar side of the border.  On the Myanmar side is Phaya Tongsue community and Phra Chedi Sam Ong village in tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhlaburi district on the Thai side.

At the request of the Myanmar authorities, Sangkhlaburi district chief Pakorn Kanwanlee sent six fire engines across the border to help put out the fire, which started about 4am and was burning fiercely. Phaya Tongsu had only four fire engines.

The firemen were able to keep the fire from spreading to the two border communities, which each have more than 100 houses. The factory itself was about 90% razed by the blaze, fuelled by cut timber wood used for making furniture and sawdust.

Three houses on the Thai side of the border were slightly damaged by the fire.

By 8.30am the fire was under control but still burning strongly. Firemen continued to douse it with water.

The cause of the fire was not known.  Damage was initially estimated at 100 million baht.

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