KANCHANABURI - A 49-year-old sugarcane farmer died from serious burns received while clearing his field of trash to make the cane harvest easier in Tha Muang district on Thursday night.
Samphan Phothinanthawong, a member of Rangsalee tambon administration organisation (TAO), was screaming in pain from the deep burns over his body when relatives found him near a ditch behind his burned off sugarcane field, Pol Lt Chaiwat Thiammetha, a duty officer at Tha Muang police station said.
Samphan had burns to 80% of his body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but died shortly after.
His relatives told police that Samphan went out to his sugarcane field near his house on Thursday night to burn off leaves and weeds that would hamper the harvest.
A short time afterwards they saw flames leaping high above the field. They rushed out to see what was happening and later found him lying on the ground in great pain at the back of the burned field, with grievous burns.
Police said it was believed a strong wind caused the fire to spread more quickly through the dry trash in the sugar-rich cane than Samphan had expected, and he was trapped in the flames.
Authorities were investigating.
