A massive fire swept through two buildings at Chatuchak market in Phuket’s Muang district on Sunday night, destroying 80 shops.
A firefighter fell sick after inhaling smoke during the attempt to fight the blaze.
Vendors said that when the fire started at 9pm they tried to put it out by themselves but couldn’t so they called the fire service.
The fire engines arrived at 10.30pm and took about an hour to control the blaze but by then it had already swept through both buildings.
Chatuchak Market, known by locals as the “trunk” market, has been in operation for 20 years and consisted of five large buildings on an 8-rai plot of land in Phang Nga road. The vendors there mostly sell new and used clothes, shoes, bags, household decorations and amulets.
He and five other vendors tried to put out the blaze but the fire spread too fast so they called the fire station.
Another vendor, Adul Kingsanan, said he had lost all of his items for sale, including old phones.
Police have yet to establish the cause of the fire.
The Nation
