PHUKET, Oct 17 — Phuket’s deputy governors have inspected the scene where a fire raged through a hypermarket, and reported that one department store staff is missing in the blaze.
Phuket deputy governors Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak, Chamroen Tipayapongtada and Sommai Prijasilpa visited the headquarters of the SuperCheap department store on Thepkasattri Road at Rassada subdistrict in the provincial seat.
SuperCheap employee Ta Chookham, age 24, a saleswoman, is reported missing.
For more than 10 hours firefighters battled the blaze which began around 9.30pm last night. The fire was still burning underneath the rubble forcing the continued spraying of water to keep fire under control.
It was expected that the fire would completely extinguished in a few hours.
The province set up an emergency help centre to receive requests for assistance and information on missing persons in the incident.
Provincial authorities deployed 500 police to provide security, conduct traffic and prevent possible looting from the debris.
Apart from the warehouse that was burnt, the fire also spread to damage some nearby homes and shops.
