A mother and her young son were killed and two other family members injured as they jumped in desperation from their burning five-storey home in Bangkok’s Yannawa district in the early hours of Wednesday.
The blaze at a housing estate on Soi Sathupradit 45 in Chong Nonsi area of Yannawa was first reported about 2am, said Pol Lt Col Krit Phetsimalai, investigation chief at Bang Phongphang.
When fire trucks and crews and rescuers rushed to the scene arrived the flames were raging through the five-storey townhome. The building housed a billboard advertising company on the ground floor with upper floors serving as a residential area.
Firefighters brought the fire under control about 30 minutes later.
One woman was dead at the scene. Three other injured members of the family were rushed to a nearby hospital where one of them was later pronounced dead.
Police said six people lived in the building - Thotsaphon (whose surname was not given), 44, his wife, their 15-year-old son, their 10-year-old son, Mr Thotsaphon’s elder brother and his wife.
All were asleep when the fire began on the second floor and spread quickly to upper floors. Mr Thotsaphon’s brother and his wife lived on the third floor. They awoke, ran from their room and shouted warnings for everyone to flee.
Mr Thotsaphon, his wife and children lived on the fourth floor. They headed down the stairs before he and his eldest son jumped from a second-floor window to the ground. His wife and the younger son jumped from the fourth floor as the fire was already spreading to the third floor as they tried to flee.
The mother was killed by the fall. Their 10-year-old son was grievously injured but still alive. Rescuers gave him CPR before sending him to Lerdsin Hospital. The boy died shortly after.
Forensic police were examining the scene to determine the cause of the fire.