PATTAYA, Thailand – A quick-thinking police officer in Pattaya rescued an 89-year-old Russian woman after a fire broke out in a townhouse on Pratumnak Hill on April 24, preventing what could have been a far more serious tragedy.
At around 15.00 hrs, officers from Pattaya City Police Station were alerted to a residential fire in Pattaya, and rushed to the scene along with disaster prevention officials and firefighters.
The blaze broke out on the fourth floor of a four-storey townhouse. Five fire engines and rescue teams from the Sawang Boriboon were deployed to bring the fire under control, which took around 30 minutes.
During the operation, a police officer identified as Capt. Wuttikorn Plodprong forced his way through thick smoke and flames to reach the third floor, where the elderly Russian resident, identified as 89-year-old Ms. Gellina, was trapped and suffering from smoke inhalation. He successfully brought her out to safety before she was rushed for emergency treatment at Pattaya City Hospital.
The homeowner, aged 78, said nine people reside in the house, with three present at the time of the incident. She said smoke was first noticed on the third floor before a worker discovered flames on the upper level. She insisted no open flame had been left unattended.
Police have cordoned off the area and are awaiting cooling of the structure before conducting a full forensic inspection. Early assumptions suggest an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire, though investigators will work with forensic specialists to determine the exact cause.
