PATTAYA, Thailand – A 79-year-old Swiss national was found dead after a fire engulfed a rental room in the Pong area of Banglamung early morning on April 11, in a suspected incident caused by a cigarette.
Police were alerted at 06:06 a.m. to a residential fire in a row of rental rooms in Soi Huai Yai Muk, Pong sub-district. Firefighters and rescue teams from Pong Municipality and Sawang Boriboon Foundation rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.
Thick smoke and flames were seen coming from a single room occupied by the elderly foreign resident, who was bedridden and living alone with occasional caregivers checking on him. Fire crews managed to bring the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but the room was left severely damaged.
Inside, authorities discovered the body of Holger Georg Robert Weisswange, 79, who was pronounced dead at the scene after being severely burned.
Neighbors told police they had smelled smoke before seeing flames erupt from the room, initially attempting to help but retreating due to the intensity of the fire before alerting emergency services.
Preliminary suspicions point to a lit cigarette as the possible cause of the blaze, as the victim reportedly had limited mobility and was known to smoke while in bed. However, investigators from the forensic police are expected to examine the scene to confirm the exact cause.
Authorities have transferred the body for further procedures and will coordinate with the victim’s relatives for funeral arrangements according to religious traditions.
