NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: A fire gutted a shopping centre in Muang district, damaging three shophouses and several vending stalls early Saturday morning, causing 10 million baht in damage and sending one person to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The fire broke out at Center Point on Ratchadamnoen Road in a downtown area of the southern city at around 5am, said Pol Col Adisak Theppawan, chief of Muang district police.
Ten fire trucks and crews were deployed to the complex, where three buildings were engulfed in flames. Clothing and shoes kept in the buildings fed the blaze. Tens of rented vending stalls inside the buildings were destroyed.
Firefighters took more than one hour to bring the blaze under control. Clothing businessman Jimmy Chawala, whose building was next to the damaged buildings, suffered smoke inhalation and chest pain. He was taken to hospital and later declared safe.
Damage was estimated at at least 10 million baht.
Police believe an electrical short-circuit started the fire.
Emergency crews respond to a fire at a commercial building in Muang district of Nakhon Sri Thammarat early Saturday. (Photo by Nujaree Raekroon)