'Immediate chaos': Aussie tourist reveals mayhem as fire rips through Thai resort
A Sydney man has described the "chaos" that unfolded as holidaymakers and locals were forced to evacuate when a fire ripped through popular Phi Phi Island in Thailand overnight.
An explosion is believed to have started from a gas cylinder at a hostel, sparking a massive blaze that spread to a number of adjacent buildings, at the tourist hot spot of Ko Phi Phi Don.
There are local reports some structures have collapsed, with at least 25 restaurants, guest houses, and hotels damaged.
Jaylan Reiher told Yahoo7 a large explosion struck the centre of the island at about 9.30pm on Tuesday with fire quickly spreading.
"It set alight to over 20 buildings including hostels, hotels, bars and common shops."
The Australian was among hundreds of tourists helping Thai locals to bring the blaze under control.
"It was all hands on deck to save the Island," he said.
They worked for hours, using buckets, bins, drums and any other items they could find able to carry water.
"The island went into immediate chaos and the fire was fought for over three hours literally by hand," Mr Reiher said.
"It came to point were every fire extinguisher in the island from every hotel was used and we were pouring bottled water from shops into buckets as water was running low."
He watched as people, dressed in casual beachwear, climb ladders onto burning buildings, with only a shirt covering their face to shield them from smoke inhalation.
The pressure from nearby garden hoses was too weak and they were not long enough to be of much use, so people resorted to filling up buckets of water from pools and taps, the tourist told.
"Water was running too slowly due to the sudden demand that bottles of water were being used and emptied into buckets, and bags of ice were being used.
"[They were] holding iPhone torches as a source of light, as the power supply had cut out completely in the area," Mr Reiher said.
"It was pretty frightening."
Local news reports indicate three people, including two Thais and a foreign tourist, sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation, in the fire which has since been brought under control.
Tourists and local residents have been evacuated to safe areas, including the beach.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not yet commented on the incident.
It is not yet known if any Australians were injured in the fire.
