Help floods in for self-burning woman

BANGKOK, October 16 (TNA) - Concerned agencies hurriedly responded with help for the woman from Lop Buri province, who set herself a fire at a public service centre in Bangkok on Wednesday, apparently for failure to stress over failure to settle her huge debt. Prime Minister's Office Minister Panadda Diskul said on Thursday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered maximal assistance for Lopburi farmer Sangwian Raksaphet, a rice grower from Khok Samrong district who set herself on fire at the Government House public service centre yesterday after trying to seek relief from her debt problem. Panadda said that concerned officials in Lop Buri were trying to solve her debt problem. They explained that informal debts were the biggest problem among the complaints that the public has filed filed with the government. More than 70 per cent of the problems were solved as the government treated them as important issues, the minister said. Panadda ordered staff of public service centers to step up security measures to prevent such incidents from recurring. He said no one should copy the woman's reaction as government officials were helping troubled people as much as they could. Social Development and Human Security Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said a ministry official visited Sangwian at Vajira Hospital and gave her some financial assistance. Relevant officials were taking care of the injured woman's mental condition and her family. Vajira Hospital acting director Dr Pollert Phanthanakul said it was not certain that the woman will be recover because more than half of her body was burnt and the extent of the injuries is serious. She also suffered from severe dehydration due to the blaze, he said. (TNA)