27 people die in Bangkok bar fire
The investigation points out that the fire evacuation route, which has also left about sixty injured, was obstructed
BarcelonaAt least 27 people have died and around sixty have been injured, several seriously, in a pub fire in Bangkok early this morning in Thailand. The fire started before midnight in a brewery in Na Padprao, north of the Thai capital, and it seems that the emergency exits were obstructed, which prevented some customers from leaving and caused them to suffocate from smoke. The firefighters managed to control the flames quickly, around 00:26 AM.
The Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, has traveled to the scene to supervise the situation and has reported the death of 27 people, while the number of injured people is at least 63, 22 of whom are in serious condition, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The bar is located in the Chatuchak district and is a famous entertainment venue in the area, popular with tourists and also housing shopping centers, cinemas, and parks.
The initial investigations suggest that the fire may have started due to an electrical short circuit in an air conditioning unit located on the roof of the premises, according to authorities based on the accounts of survivors. The fire reportedly began on the pub's stage and spread rapidly, while many customers ran towards the back of the venue, to the kitchen and bathroom area.
However, the evacuation routes were blocked, which would have turned into a deadly trap. "There are two emergency exits, one is near the kitchen. There were beer crates in the way," the governor of Bangkok, Chadchart Sittipunt, explained to reporters, adding that the other exit was blocked by a table.
"We have to wait for forensic investigators to examine the scene more closely," he concluded, although firefighters have confirmed that many customers found themselves trapped inside when trying to flee. "Most of the survivors were suffocating from smoke," they said. Photos taken inside the bar after the fire was extinguished show the premises completely charred and blackened, with the ceiling in the process of collapsing.
In August 2022, a nightclub fire in Thailand left at least 15 dead and 37 injured, and the owner was accused of negligence and operating the nightlife establishment without a license.