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House Fire in Betong Injures 3, Neighbors thought it was Chinese New Year

House Fire in Betong Injures 3, Neighbors thought it was Chinese New Year

Khaosod•Society•1d ago

Reader Briefing

A fire at a shop in Betong, Yala, on February 16, 2026, resulted in injuries to three residents due to smoke inhalation, with initial confusion from neighbors mistaking the flames for Chinese New Year rituals.

  • •A fire broke out at the Charoen Phanich shop in Betong, Yala, on February 16, 2026.
  • •Three residents were injured by smoke inhalation.
  • •Neighbors initially mistook the fire for Chinese New Year rituals.
  • •The fire spread rapidly due to flammable goods stored on the second floor.

Overview

  • •On February 16, 2026, a fire broke out at the Charoen Phanich shop in Betong, Yala.
  • •The fire spread rapidly due to a large quantity of goods stored in cardboard boxes on the second floor, acting as fuel.
  • •Three residents sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation, but were reported to be out of danger.
  • •Neighbors initially mistook the initial flames for Chinese New Year offerings, delaying their realization of the danger.
  • •Firefighters from the Betong Municipality's Prevention and Suppression division took over an hour to control the blaze.
  • •Muslim Rescue Team and Metta Tham Betong Rescue Foundation provided assistance and transported the injured to the hospital for observation.
  • •Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
  • •It is believed that the fire may have started from burning incense for Chinese New Year offerings left unattended.

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Key Quotes

Neighbor
"When the incident happened, I thought someone was burning symbolic money because it was Chinese New Year offerings."
ตอนเกิดเรื่องนึกว่าใครเผากระดาษเงินกระดาษทองเพราะเป็นวันไหว้ตรุษจีน
Neighbor
"But soon, I saw a lot of smoke billowing from the backyard, so I rushed to open the door before being stunned to see the bright red flames."
แต่ไม่นานก็เห็นควันไฟพวยพุ่งออกจากหลังบ้านเป็นจำนวนมาก จึงรีบไปเปิดประตู ก่อนจะอึ้งเห็นเพลิงลุกแดงฉาน

Key Entities

Person

Pol. Capt. Pornchai Choonuan(ร.ต.อ.พรชัย ชูนวล)
An investigating officer from the Betong Police Station who received the report of the fire.

Organization

Betong Police Station(สภ.เบตง)
The police station responsible for investigating the fire in Betong, Yala.
Betong Municipality(เทศบาลเมืองเบตง)
The local government responsible for fire suppression services in Betong.
Muslim Rescue Team(หน่วยกู้ชีพ-กู้ภัยมุสลิม)
A rescue organization that assisted at the fire scene in Betong.
Metta Tham Betong Foundation Rescue Team(กู้ชีพ -กู้ภัย มูลนิธิกวมอิมเมตาธรรมเบตง)
A rescue foundation that provided assistance at the fire scene in Betong.

Place

Yala Province(จ.ยะลา)ℹ️
The province in Thailand where the town of Betong is located.
Charoen Phanich Shop(ร้านเจริญพาณิชย์)
The general goods store that was the site of the fire in Betong.