Arrest in Thai-Belgian Bridge fire, but is he really to blame?

Who is to blame for the Thai-Belgian Bridge fire? Police say they have caught the man responsible, but Bangkok Post readers say the real blame should go elsewhere.

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Here are the opening paragraphs of a story on the man arrested for the Thai-Belgian Bridge fire, followed by some of the reactions by Bangkok Post readers.

Cops arrest vagrant who may have sparked blaze at bridge

A homeless windscreen washer suspected of causing a fire that damaged the Thai-Belgian Bridge late last month has been arrested.

He admitted to dropping a cigarette butt on some dried leaves beneath the bridge after returning from relieving himself nearby, police said.

Samran Muangkhiaw, 31, aka EK Lock1, was caught near the Thanyaburi Welfare Centre for Homeless Men in Pathum Thani on Thursday night.

The 31-year-old suspect is thought to be the leader of a gang offering a windscreen cleaning service to motorists at traffic lights at the nearby Henri Dunant and Witthayu intersections, police said.

Mr Samran allegedly confessed he was sleeping beneath the Thai-Belgian bridge on the morning of the fire. About 6am, he woke up and relieved himself nearby. At the time he was smoking a discarded cigarette butt he found and dropped it on some leaves near garbage bins stored under the bridge. He then left the area, heading to Sala Daeng intersection near Lumpini Park where his friends were sleeping.

On the way, he looked back and saw black smoke coming from beneath the bridge. He was so scared he ran away.

The fire damaged the bridge structure, causing safety concerns and forced its partial closure for repairs, resulting in traffic jams on congested Rama IV Road. The work is expected to continue until May 15.

Here is some of the reactions from Bangkok Post readers. Do you agree with them?

1. Why does this article not even mention the careless BMA?

2. All those garbage bins should never have been under that bridge to begin with. They should have been on the street.

3. Blame a homeless guy dropping a cigarette butt instead of BMA negligence storing flammable materials under a steel bridge, typical. Fire could have started for any reason, a cigarette is just one among many, the real negligence is the storage of hazardous material under a fire sensitive structure.

4. Agreed. This again is a totally ridiculous reaction by officials. Leave this man alone, please. BMA is to blame.

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