The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office at Patong Municipality (DDPM-Patong) was notified of the fire at Meesuk Mansion building at around 9.25am, Patong Municipality reported.
Patong firefighters arrived at the scene just to do an inspection and record the case as the fire itself had been put out by the caretaker of the building.
It was reported that the fire started in a storage room on the first floor of the five-story building offering rooms for rent, only 2 sqm were affected. Police are investigating the cause of the incident, no preliminary conclusions have been made public so far.
In a separate development Phuket City Municipality today (May 23) posted a notice asking residents not to block fire hydrants on the street and always follow fire prevention rules on their premises. The ten recommendations were given as follows:
- Check all electrical equipment and cables on a regular basis and make necessary repairs if damage is found.
- Use only high quality plugs, meeting the industry standards.
- Always unplug electrical appliances after use.
- Regularly check cooking stoves and gas tanks, always close the valve on the tank after use.
- Make sure every room in the building has an emergency exit; iron bars on windows should not prevent people from escaping in case of emergency.
- Fire extinguishers should be placed at prominent spots and not obstructed. Everyone in the building should know how to use a fire extinguisher.
- Proper power cut should be installed to prevent electric leakages and fires.
- Flammable materials and fuels should be kept away from heat and flame.
- Activities related to fire require extra caution. This includes using incense sticks and candles.
- Emergency phone numbers – such as the 199 hot-line number and a local fire station telephone number – should be placed for people to see.
In case of fire people should call the 199 emergency hot-line or the 1784 Public Disaster Hotline. The Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation can be also contacted 24 hours a day via LINE messenger @1784DDPM.