Death toll from Bangkok bar fire rises to 30 as police probe safety lapses

As of Tuesday morning, 27 of the deceased victims had been identified, authorities said. More than 70 people were injured, 24 of them critically.

Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the air conditioner, which quickly cut off power throughout the bar.

However, many people who have visited the bar before said that even in its original form, the bar was a dark room. Phatsara Khamloet, who visited in May, told BBC Thai she had to take a “circuitous route” to reach the toilet, noting that the exits were not well marked.

Fire safety expert Busakorn Saensuk from the Thailand Institute of Engineering, who investigated the incident in Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, said that the door near the toilets was locked, while the two doors at the entrance were partially blocked by furniture and other objects.

Speaking to BBC Thai, Busakorn said customers would instinctively run away from the fire towards the back, where the toilets are located.

“But when they reached the back they couldn’t get out.

“If the emergency signs were on, people could see how the door was locked and unlock it,” he says.

Busakorn also noted that the stage was decorated using flammable materials such as plastic flowers, and the ceiling was plastered with flammable foam.

Survivors said the stage was engulfed in flames within seconds. Thai indie band Thotsakan, who was giving a concert when the fire broke out, lost two members due to the tragedy.