Early morning fire in Sanchaung township burns down entire building; 3 confirmed dead, 1 missing

Remains of the burned-down building in Sanchaung Township. Photo: Nay Paing/Coconuts Yangon
Remains of the burned-down building in Sanchaung Township. Photo: Nay Paing/Coconuts Yangon

A fire burned down a wooden building in Yangon’s central Sanchaung township early this morning, which, according to reports from the Sanchaung Fire Department, resulted in three deaths — including a father and his son — as well as injuries for dozens of residents in the building. 

The fire began at dawn on the corner of Baho and Kyaik Latt Roads, and sparked when preparations for breakfast at a local tea shop went awry, said Sanchaung Fire Sergeant, Ma Aye Sandar Lwin. The flames grew so large that they quickly consumed the entirety of the wooden building within minutes. 

“We believe that a gas stove started the fire when the tea shop was preparing for breakfast. The building is really old — decades old — and made entirely of wood, so it was very flammable. There are three dead and one missing,” she told Coconuts Yangon at the scene.

News of the fire has also been shared widely on social media, including videos and pictures of the scene, taken in the early hours of the day.

https://www.facebook.com/thin.aye.1/posts/10218607740254204




Fires are a common occurrence in Yangon, where poor urban planning and unenforced building regulations have rendered the city’s citizens vulnerable to frequent blazes that threaten their health, livelihoods, and sometimes, their lives. 

Just a little under a year ago, the city saw a day in which at least 7 separate fires were reported in Yangon throughout the course of a single day.

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