27 killed as fire breaks out at a pub in Bangkok, officials say
Rescuers said the fire was reported around midnight. Images shared online by first responders showed a massive fire breaking out of the front door of a bar in the northern part of the Thai capital, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky as people tried to escape.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people died and many were hospitalized. He said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Officials said it took firefighters about half an hour to bring the fire under control. Post-incident photographs show charred tables and chairs and the damaged interior of the bar.
Thailand has experienced similar tragedies in the past. In 2022, 14 people died in a fire at a music bar in the eastern part of the country.
More than ten years ago, on January 1, 2009, 66 people died and more than 200 were injured in a fire that broke out during a New Year’s Eve celebration at Santika nightclub in the capital of Thailand. It appears that the fire was caused by an indoor fireworks display.
