Two hospitals damaged by angry mob after bloody brawl
Rioting young men damaged medical equipment at two hospitals in Phra Pradaeng district after a brawl between two rival groups that left one man dead and two injured, police said.
Pol Lt Col Sumeth Salee, a Samrong Tai police chief investigator, said two groups of men began fighting early on Sunday night in front of a house in Moo 10 village in tambon Bang Ya Phraek.
One man, Ratchapong Wassana, 22, was stabbed in the right chest and seriously injured. He fell unconscious and was rushed by friends to Vibharam Chaiprakarn Hospital in Phra Pradaeng district.
Two members of the other group, identified later as Thanapol Thongchaiya, 21, and Chayakorn Hachai, 20, were also injured. They were admitted to Muangsamut Hospital, a few kilometres away from Vibharam Chaiprakarn Hospital.
At Vibharam Chaiprakarn Hospital, where Ratchapong was being treated in an emergency ward, about 20 of his friends arrived on motorcycles at about 6 pm.
A doctor told them and a group of relatives that Ratchapong had died, despite their best efforts to save his life.
This enraged his friends, who went on a rampage – attacking the doctors and nurses and other hospital staff and sending them fleeing in fear.
The rioting men damaged medical equipment, smashed glass doors, and windows of the emergency ward and whatever they could lay their hands on.
The mob then learned that two injured members of the other gang were in Muangsamut Hospital. They abruptly left on motorcycles, heading for the other hospital.
At about 7.30 pm they arrived at Muangsamut Hospital on Poo Chao Saming Phrai road. Carrying lengths of wood and even floor mops, they forced their way into the emergency ward where the two injured men were being treated, attacked the men’s friends and began destroying equipment and furniture.
Witnesses said the rampaging mob fled in all directions as police arrived at the scene.
The police investigation was continuing.
