EIT: Fire at Major Cineplex Pinklao may be caused by short circuit

BANGKOK, July 30 (TNA) -- The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) has speculated that the cause of the fire at Major Cineplex Pinklao was due to a short circuit on the third floor of the building. EIT President Suchatvee Suwansawat, together with a team of experts from the Council of Engineers (COE) and the Department of Public Works under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to inspect the safety of the Major Cineplex Pinklao's building after a fire had broken at the cineplex on Thursday, destroying four cinemas from the total of 13 and causing the building to collaspe. Mr Suchatvee said that an evaluation of the building revealed that the fire must have been started on the third floor due to a short circuit, as an exit sign behind cinema number 7 was found to have been completely burnt, causing the flames to rage up to the fourth floor and quickly spread through cinemas 1-8 as the theatres were constructed of flammable materials. He said the raging flames had caused the roof to collapse after the fire had been raging for just 45 minutes, making it even more difficult to control the fire. Mr Suchatvee said the 1-3 floors were undamaged, however, a thorough inspection is needed and up to 2-3 months is required to completely demolish the building, after which the new design of the building would be created and present to the district for approval. He is expecting the new cineplex to be completed and reopened within the next 1-2 years, at least. The building was formerly known as Welco department store and was destroyed by a fire 20 years ago. It was then transformed into the first cinema complex built by Major Group in 1994. (TNA)