Police arrived with five fire trucks at the scene on the intersection of Soi Sena Niwet and Anuphasphuketkarn Rd at 1:30am this morning. Firefighters proceeded to tackle the blaze which took 20 minutes to bring under control.
The house was a single-story cement building, in front of which were bottles of petrol for sale.
Capt Ronnapoom Pempoon of Phuket City Police explained that, “When the fire started, the owner of the house, 69-year-old Kluay Hernsuntei, was asleep along with her son and daughter-in-law who went to stay with her because she was feeling unwell.”
At the time of the incident, a neighbouring karaoke bar worker was nearby and ran to the back of the house screaming for Ms Kluay to get out with her son and daughter-in-law.
Capt Ronnapoom said that after questioning Ms Kluay, she explained that she had sold a few bottles of petrol before going inside to sleep.
“I heard the worker from the karaoke bar shouting at the back of the house that there was a fire,” Ms Kluay explained.
“So we all ran out of the house immediately without taking anything with us as we were scared and in shock,” she said.
All three managed to escape without harm, although everything in the house was destroyed including a motorcycle.
Capt Ronnapoom questioned the karaoke bar worker who explained that just before the fire broke out, she saw a woman holding a bottle of petrol near the house. The worker thinks she recognised the woman as somebody that lived with Ms Kluay for a couple of months before she found a job and now rents a room close by.
Ms Kluay’s son went to look for the woman at the place where she lives but she was not there.
Capt Ronnapoom noted that the woman and Ms Kluay had not had any arguments.
“We will gather evidence from the scene and will further question Ms Kluay and the witness, and also seek to find the woman who was seen near the house,” he added.