More than 260 people have registered for assistance following the Yaowarat fire on Saturday night, most of them migrant workers, according to the permanent secretary for human security.
Anukul Peedkaew reported on Sunday that 264 individuals applied for fire-related aid at the Samphanthawong district office. Most of the applicants were migrants employed in the Yaowarat area, Bangkok’s Chinatown.
The fire left most victims homeless, leading them to take shelter at Wat Chai Chana Songkhram, Wat Samphanthawong, Wat Traimit, and Wat Traimit Wittayaram Worawihan School. Some found refuge in shelters provided by their employers, Mr. Anukul noted.
The blaze in the Trok Pho community began around 8:40 pm on Saturday. It destroyed or severely damaged 65 wooden houses, and parts of two hotels and adjacent commercial buildings on Yaowarat Road were also affected. Patients were evacuated from the nearby Thianfah Hospital.
One person remains missing, and engineers have yet to conduct safety checks on the burned buildings.
Paisarn Charoenboonma from the Samphanthawong district office mentioned hearing several bangs, resembling electrical transformer explosions, before noticing the fire.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt stated that many migrant workers rented houses in the Trok Pho community and assured that they would receive assistance.
He also mentioned that the fire disrupted the operations of two local hotels, causing guests to check out. He confirmed that Yaowarat Road would be reopened to traffic on Monday.
