A woman was badly burned after becoming engulfed in flames following an argument with another woman in Pakngeum District, Vientiane Capital.
Ms. Phonesavanh, 19, a resident of Pakngeum District, was set on fire after a dispute with the wife of a man she had become involved with. She was left with severe burns across most of her body following the gruesome incident.
Lao Security News reports that the dispute began when Ms. Dokchan, 19, discovered her husband, identified as 29-year-old Mr. Souvanthone, and Ms. Phonesavanh were having an affair.
The two had been involved in the past, with Dokchan warning Phonesavanh several times to stop contacting her husband.
According to eyewitness reports, at approximately 2 pm on 8 September, Dokchan and her friends were cutting wood in a nearby forested area to be used for constructing a chicken coop. When they noticed they had forgotten to bring the necessary tools, they drove to the home of her husband’s friend to request a machete.
Upon arriving, they noticed a woman’s shoes at the premises.
Thinking the shoes belonged to a domestic worker, Dokchan knocked on the door which was answered by Phonesavanh, who was at the premises with Dokchan’s husband.
An argument ensued between the two women, while onlookers attempted to stop the fight and witnesses filmed the incident as evidence.
Dokchan picked up a nearby bottle of petroleum and splashed it over Phonesavanh. She took a cigarette lighter and threatened to set Phonesavanh on fire with a candle.
Phonesavanh attempted to hide behind others, however, Dokchan reached out with the candle and set Phonesavanh alight, causing her extreme burns and injuring another man who was standing nearby.
Police said in a statement that the act was deliberate and that Ms. Dokchan would be charged with attempted murder.
Because she has a young child and is currently pregnant, Dokchan has been released on bail until the birth of her second child in accordance with Lao law.
