On 22 March 2013, a fire at the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp in

Mae Hong Son Province Mae Hong Son province ( Burmese: မဲဟောင်ဆောင်; th, แม่ฮ่องสอน, ; Northern Thai: ; Shan: ; formerly called ''Mae Rong Son''), also spelled ''Maehongson'', ''Mae Hong Sorn'' or ''Maehongsorn'', is one of ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, killed 37

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

refugees from neighbouring

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, as well as destroying hundreds of dwellings. Thought to have started following a "cooking accident",''"Preliminary reports indicate a cooking accident triggered the blaze…"'' Kassim, Aliza (2013)
Blaze kills dozens at refugee camp in Thailand
- CNN. Published 23 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013. the fire began at around 16:00

local time Local time is the time observed in a specific locality. There is no canonical definition. Originally it was mean solar time, but since the introduction of time zones it is generally the time as determined by the time zone in effect, with daylight s ...

(09:00

GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...

), and extinguished around two hours later. The fire had been spread by hot weather combined with strong winds. The current death toll for the fire is 37, comprising 21 men and 16 women. Of these, 35 were killed directly, while two others died in the following days. The majority of victims were burned to death, while others were suffocated.35 die in fire at Karen refugee camp
– '' Bangkok Post''. Published 23 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013. The death toll had previously been reported to be as high as 62, though this was later revised. Various sources have also reported "at least 100" and "over 200" other injured people. The fire destroyed hundreds of makeshift bamboo huts at the camp, as well as the camp's medical clinic, hospital, and two food warehouses. At least 2,300 people were left without shelter following the fire, and were subsequently accommodated in tents. Food, shelter, and clothing is being provided by the International Rescue Committee, the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...

, the

Jesuit Refugee Service The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, that they may heal, learn, and determine their own future. Fou ...

, and the

International Organisation for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM was ...

, as well as other aid groups.

Controversy

Eyewitnesses claim they saw a helicopter or airplane pass several times overhead before dropping 'sparks' onto the roofs of one of the sources of the fires.Refugees claim chopper dropped burning objects
- Bangkok Post. Published 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013. The investigation found traces of phosphorus at the source of the fire, leading a police chief to claim it was not an accident. The fire started simultaneously in Zone 1 and Zone 4, on opposite ends of the camps, leading some to suspect foul play Additionally, a section leader in the camp reported that two living tents far from camp were simultaneously burned, leading the community to further suspect foul play.Interview with Section Leader in Camp 2
- Youtube. Published 27 March 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thailand refugee camp fire 2013 fires in Asia 2013 in Thailand Fires in Thailand Mae Hong Son province March 2013 events in Thailand 2013 disasters in Thailand