A fire broke out in Wat That village in Luang Prabang City at around 3:30 pm on 8 January, damaging several residential houses just days after a deadly blaze in the same area.
Local authorities said emergency responders, rescue teams, and village officials moved quickly to contain the fire. Traffic police diverted vehicles to allow fire engines to reach the site, while crews helped residents move belongings to safety and secured nearby homes.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control after about 90 minutes. Officials reported that six houses were damaged and two people sustained injuries.
No fatalities were reported in the latest incident.
Authorities said the dense layout of the area, made up largely of old wooden houses built close together, allowed the fire to spread rapidly. The total value of property damage has yet to be assessed, and investigators are still working to determine the cause.
Officials said inquiries are ongoing and further updates will be released as more information becomes available.
Earlier Fire Linked to Criminal Case
The incident came just five days after a major fire in the same village on 3 January, which authorities later linked to a serious criminal case involving robbery, murder, and arson.
That fire broke out at around 1:00 am, damaging eight houses and killing two Chinese nationals, identified as Fong Jiao and her five-year-old daughter.
Police arrested a suspect, Yui Fengtong, 43, a Chinese national, the following day in Boten district, Luang Namtha Province.
According to Luang Prabang police, Yui confessed to committing robbery and murder before setting the house on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Investigators said Yui told authorities he had invested about RMB 100,000 (around USD 14,300) in a fruit trading business in China in 2023 with Shen Long, the victim’s husband.
Yui claimed he did not receive any share of the profits and later traveled to Luang Prabang after Shen relocated there for business. Unable to find Shen, Yui instead targeted his wife and child.
Police said investigations are continuing to gather further evidence and clarify all aspects of the case, with legal proceedings against the suspect ongoing in accordance with the law.
