At the Khlong Thom Center fire, the initial firefighting team reported the latest situation: the building was beginning to collapse, forcing them to retreat and spray water from outside. Deputy Interior Minister Je Seth stressed that the safety of the personnel is the top priority.
At 23:00 on 28 Aug 2016, regarding the fire at Khlong Thom Center market in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Deputy Interior Minister Je Seth Thai Seth, accompanied by Theerapat Kachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), who has been monitoring the situation since the fire began, received reports from rescue workers operating inside the fire area.
Firefighters reported that the building was now beginning to collapse due to the fire, as the upper floors are steel, requiring them to exercise extreme caution.
Deputy Interior Minister Je Seth instructed the personnel to work carefully, advising them to avoid taking unnecessary risks if conditions appeared dangerous and to rotate shifts every hour to ensure safety.
Earlier, Deputy Interior Minister Je Seth stated that, based on area assessment, the heat source areas could be controlled, and personnel were working to extinguish fires in hard-to-reach spots. He requested time to allow officers to carry out their operations. There was no report yet confirming whether the fire originated on the building’s fourth floor, as the area had not been fully inspected; further investigation is required for clear evidence.
When speaking with firefighters reporting the situation to Deputy Interior Minister Je Seth, it was learned that the building's structure had already collapsed due to the steel framework, which collapses quickly under fire. No injuries were found inside, so officers are now spraying water to prevent the fire from spreading. Previously, firefighters had reached the fourth floor but withdrew due to safety risks. Currently, personnel are outside, spraying water inward. Flames remain at the second and third floors due to abundant combustible materials, such as electric vehicle batteries, among others.
