NONTHABURI, Thailand – A couple and approximately 30 pet cats died in a house fire in the early hours of Monday, with rescuers later discovering a charcoal stove and a petrol container in the bedroom, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the blaze.

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Emergency services responded to reports of a fire at a house in a luxury estate on Ratchaphruek-Nonthaburi 1 Road in tambon Bang Si Muang of Muang district at approximately 12:10 a.m., with flames engulfing the second floor of the two-storey, 320-square-metre residence and four fire engines deployed to the scene.

A man and a woman were later found dead on a bed, with a charcoal stove and the remains of a 20-litre gallon used to store petrol found near them, their bodies severely burned, while many dead cats, reportedly about 30, were discovered in a rear room on the same floor. Two of the couple’s cats survived and were recovering after rescuers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on them, according to media reports.

A firefighter with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, Jam Laotoom, 45, said that while directing water onto the blaze, he noticed the flames were spreading into a bedroom on the second floor, and upon climbing a ladder to investigate, he saw a large fuel container in the room, with repeated explosions occurring when water was sprayed on it.

เจ้าหน้าที่เร่งช่วยกันช่วยปั๊มหัวใจน้องแมวจากเหตุเพลิงไหม้ เวลาประมาณ 00:15 น. ภายในหมู่บ้านนึงใกล้กับ ซ.กตัญญู ถ.ราชพฤกษ์-นนทบุรี
พบผู้เสียชีวิต 2 ราย และสุนัข 2 ตัว
RIP 🤍#ข่าวคนนนท์ 17/08/69 pic.twitter.com/88RIEey9IO

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The bathroom door was later found locked, and it took firemen approximately half an hour to bring the blaze under control, with a subsequent inspection finding that the first floor had not been damaged but petrol stains were discovered splashed throughout the premises, according to Bang Si Muang police.

A neighbour told police that before the fire erupted, a loud sound like something falling on the floor was heard inside the house, and the couple were identified as crypto traders, though their identities had yet to be officially confirmed by authorities.

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Police said the investigation into the cause of the fire was continuing, with forensic teams examining the scene for evidence that could explain the presence of the charcoal stove and petrol container in the bedroom, while neighbours expressed shock at the tragedy that claimed both the couple and their large collection of feline companions.

-Thailand News (TN)