Fire Breaks Out At Pub In Bangkok, Killing At Least 27 People

BANGKOK (AP) — A massive fire destroyed a pub Bangkok At least 27 people died and dozens were injured in the blaze, which continued until Monday before firefighters brought the blaze under control.

Footage shared online by first responders showed a massive fire and smoke billowing from the front door of Na Ladprao beer hall in the northern part of the Thai capital. People can be seen trying to escape as thick black smoke rises into the sky.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Bangkok Mayor Chadchart Sittipunt said investigators will examine the ceiling materials and see if any emergency exits were blocked, potentially making it more difficult for people to evacuate.

Bangkok city government said the fire broke out shortly before midnight Sunday.

The area was cordoned off Monday morning as dozens of Thai forensic officers combed the charred remains for clues about the cause of the fire.

The building’s street-facing windows were blown out and debris, including charred televisions, speakers and an electric guitar, was strewn across the pavement. From the outside, the extent of the destruction could be seen through shattered windows that trapped burnt tables, some still containing empty beer bottles.

On Monday morning, some Buddhist monks visited the site to pray for the victims, while nurses distributed face masks to nearby people to help them protect themselves from the smoke and smoke emanating from the burned building.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people died.

Anutin said that a musician performing at the bar told him that he saw smoke coming from the circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, then an explosion was heard and the environment quickly filled with dense smoke.

Anutin added that most of the victims were found in the restrooms at the back of the bar.

Bangkok Governor said 63 people were hospitalized, 22 of whom were in critical condition. He said authorities were trying to identify the victims because many of them did not carry identification or were unconscious.

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.

A registration point was created to collect information from relatives who came to the scene to search for their loved ones.

Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she was performing nearby when she heard the news of the fire and rushed to the scene because several of her bandmates were performing at the bar. He said one died, three were hospitalized and one could not be located.

“From what I heard from people inside, when the fire started, everything was dark. The electricity was out and there was smoke everywhere, so they couldn’t locate other people,” he said.

in 2022 14 people died in the fire in a music bar in the eastern part of the country. And more than a decade ago, 67 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. Fire on January 1, 2009 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.

This story has been updated to increase the death toll from the 2009 fire to 67.