SONGKHLA: Sixteen tourists were taken to hospital, mostly suffering from smoke inhalation, during a fire in a hotel in Sadao district on Friday morning.
Police said the fire was caused by the explosion of a transformer in front of the six-storey I.P.D Hotel in tambon Samnak Kham about 8.30am.
Thick black smoke billowed up through the building from the first floor blaze, sending guests on upper floors fleeing their rooms in panic.
Sixteen tourists were affected by the smoke. Three of them fell unconscious. Emergency personnel gave them CPR and they revived. There were no reports of death, Thai media reported.
Firefighters took about half an hour to put out the blaze.
A police investigation found that a transformer in front of the hotel exploded and caused a short circuit in the lobby of the hotel, which started the fire.
Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy police spokesman, said forensic officials and local police were investigating further.
He said there were 16 people injured. Nine of them had been treated at a hospital and discharged. Seven were transferred to Hat Yai, Songkhla or Padang Besar hospitals. All were foreign nationals.
