A TURF battle broke out again between rescue volunteers of two foundations on Bamrung Mueang road close to midnight last night after a motorcycle accident there with a large number of policemen sent to separate them, TV Channel 7 said this morning (Apr. 11).
The rescue teams from Ruamkatanyu and Petchkasem foundations first held talks to negotiate but this led to an argument after which members of the two teams started attacking each. More rescuers from the two foundations then drove up and joined the melee.
Around 10-20 policemen from Samran Rat, Nang Loeng and Royal Palace stations as well as those from other units rushed in to separate the two groups.
Pol. Col. Ekarat Pao-in, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police Division 1, said representatives of the two foundations came to Nang Loeng police station to file a report of what had transpired. They have been told to come again later today to resolve the problem of overlapping boundaries and put an end to such turf battles.
Rescuers of the two foundations have clashed frequently with the worst incident being near the 70th pier off Kaset Nawamin road with shots having been fired and some of them injured. Police found several bullet casings at the scene.
After that fierce clash representatives of the two foundations held talks and reached a truce but small clashes continued occurring. While the two foundations continued holding talks to try to stop these turf battles, the Public Health Ministry and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have not seriously tackled the problem, Pol. Col. Ekarat said.
At 3 a.m. Mr. Patiya Wibulnan, executive director of Ruamkatanyu Foundation, said a number of people were injured in the latest clash with Petchkasem rescuers and it is uncertain when another fight will break out and how violent it would be with it being possible for gunshots being fired as happened on Kaset Nawamin road.
He appealed to relevant agencies, including Metropolitan Police, Erawan emergency medical centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Public Health Ministry to seriously work on settling the boundary lines.
CAPTION:
The scene of the clash between rescue volunteers of two foundations last night. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: TV Channel 7
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