At least 27 killed, 22 critically injured after fire engulfs Bangkok bar

At least 27 people died and 22 others died in a massive fire at a bar in Bangkok late Sunday. He was seriously injured.

Witnesses said the fire started near the stage of the bar in the popular Chatuchak district, then spread rapidly, knocking out power and filling the room with smoke.

Footage posted online showed panicked customers screaming as they fled Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao’s flame-covered front door, some with their clothes singed.

Fire crews arrived at the scene at midnight and extinguished the fire in a short time. They found the bodies of most of the victims in the bathroom where they had apparently taken shelter.

Preliminary investigations by Bangkok’s disaster mitigation department suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit in the air conditioner, but no official cause was given.

Authorities have promised a thorough investigation.

This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Thailand.

Despite official promises to improve fire and electrical safety standards following previous incidents, these are still often inadequately enforced.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the scene early on Monday, said a musician who was performing when the fire broke out told him “there were explosions and everyone was trying to escape the smoke and flames.”

According to Anutin, the musician said many people were unable to leave the bar because they “went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves in the restroom.”

Fire crews responded to the fire upon the notice of a passing driver and were able to bring the flames under control in about half an hour.

However, despite all efforts, 9 men and 18 women were killed. More than 60 people are currently being treated in hospital, 22 of whom are in critical condition, officials said.

Suriyachai Raviwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster mitigation department, said initial findings showed most of the victims died from smoke inhalation.

Bangkok Governor Chatchart Sittipunt said flammable interior decorations on the ceiling of the bar may have facilitated the rapid spread of the fire.

The governor also added that there were people found unconscious near the building’s emergency exit, suggesting there may have been some kind of obstruction.

Authorities say these suggestions can only be confirmed by further investigation by coroners.

The motorcyclist, Surin Jaiharn, told AFP he helped about five people escape the burning bar by using clothes to extinguish the flames on their bodies.

“I am depressed. I have seen many deaths and I do not know the fate of the people I helped,” he told AFP.

The driver who alerted the fire department told Thai news outlet Daily News that he broke the windows to help the two men escape.

As of Monday morning, the bar was cordoned off, its windows smashed and furniture piled outside its entrance. Conflicting images emerged from the numerous body bags lined up outside the bar.

Inside, the furniture, walls and ceiling are completely blackened, and some parts of the ceiling are peeling off. When the BBC arrived at the scene on Monday there was a strong burning smell in the air.

The Chatukchak regional office announced on Monday that the building where the bar is located will be closed for 30 days.

Authorities also announced that 29,300 Thai baht ($880; £660) would be given to the families of the dead victims, and 4,000 baht ($120; £90) would be given to those receiving hospital treatment.

This is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred in Thailand.

In 2022, 22 people died in a fire that broke out in a bar in a town south of Bangkok.

On January 1, 2009, 66 people died and more than 200 people were injured in the nightclub fire that broke out at the beginning of the new year in the capital.

In 2024, a fire broke out in the famous open-air Chatuchak market due to an electrical short circuit. killed 1000 animals.

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