Thailand: SuperCheap Store in Phuket City on Fire, Workers Feared Dead

October 16, 2013 Updated: July 18, 2015

A massive fire broke out at the main SuperCheap store in Phuket City, Thailand, with officials fearing that several people died inside, reported local media. There were reports of explosions.

The blaze was still out of control as of Thursday morning, according to the Phuket Wan publication. Fire trucks were brought in from a neighboring province, while the entire firefighting force in Phuket was called to the blaze.

”The fire is massive,” a Phuketwan journalist said. ”It’s lighting up the night from kilometres away.”

Some of the workers were Burmese and could not speak Thai, hospital workers told the publication.

A Thai woman, who escaped death, was being treated for a leg injury.

”There was no fire alarm,” she told the paper. ”Everybody just started running for the door.”

Police said that it is likely that some people were trapped inside. Medical workers were stationed outside the burning store.

Photos and videos of the blaze were uploaded to various social media sites.

The website said that the fire broke out at around 9 p.m. local time.