Small fire breaks out in police HQ, probe points to smouldering butt
A small fire broke out on the sixth floor of a building inside the Royal Thai Police (RTP) headquarters complex on Thursday afternoon.
Police said smoke was billowing from a balcony in Building 1 within the police headquarters complex in Bangkok’s Pathumwan area at about 2pm.
Officers rushed to the site, which was next to the office of RTP inspector-general Pol General Kraiboon Suadsong, where they found a burning pile of unused materials like pieces of wood, plastic tubes and metal pipes from an awning. It took about 10 minutes to put out the fire.
The site was checked by a team of forensic specialists, led by Pol Lt-General Trairong Phiewphan, chief of the Office of Police Forensic Science, and Pol Maj-General Wathee Assawutmangkoon, commander of the Central Forensic Science Division.
After inspecting the scene, Trairong told reporters that many cigarette butts, both old and new, had been found near the heap of waste materials. He said he believes the fire was sparked by a lit cigarette butt thrown by a police officer who was stealthily smoking near the fire exit. The fire cannot be blamed on a short circ
