Udon Thani: Grandparents lit a fire to repel mosquitoes from their buffaloes, but a fire broke out in the pen, killing dozens of their buffaloes, leaving only one alive.
According to Thai News Agency, the clip of the buffalo pen fire incident was recorded by a nearby neighbor who witnessed the tragic event. The neighbor can be heard in the clip calling out for the owner of the buffalo pen, but at that time, the owner was not present at the scene.
The devastating fire occurred at the buffalo pen located at the end of Ban Nong Ya Ma village in Tambon Namuang, Amphoe Prachaksilpakom, Udon Thani Province. The incident took place at noon yesterday. Reporters later met with Mrs. Samniang, age 68, and Mr. Wilai, age 71, the grieving grandparents who owned the buffalo pen. They are deeply saddened by the loss of their buffalo herd.
Mrs. Samniang recounted that her husband, Tawilai, had herded the buffaloes back into the pen before noon. He then went to have lunch at a hut about 1 km away. Shortly after, a villager ran to inform her of the devastating incident that had claimed all their buffaloes. It is believed that Tawilai had lit a mosquito-repellent fire just 1 wa away from the pen the night before, which may have rekindled and spread to the straw in the pen, causing the tragic fire.
Grandma Samniang expressed her sorrow, stating that she has been raising buffaloes for five years and had never experienced anything like this before. The loss of the buffaloes, which she considers as dear as her own children, has left her heartbroken. With only one buffalo, Boonrod, surviving the incident, she faces the uncertainty of what to do next. Boonrod, who was originally named Chokchai, was renamed following the incident as the sole survivor; his mother was among those lost in the fire.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, villagers came together to help bury the deceased buffaloes and invited monks to perform a ceremony, paying respects in a manner similar to rites for people.