Bangkok: At least 27 people died and 63 others were injured in a massive fire that broke out in a popular live music pub in Thailand’s capital Bangkok late Sunday night. Officials confirmed this on Monday and said that an investigation has been started into the cause of this accident, which is one of the deadliest entertainment venue fires in the country in recent years.
The fire broke out at around 11:57 pm local time on Sunday night in a live music pub named Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao located in Chatuchak district of Bangkok. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about half an hour, but by then the entire pub was filled with thick smoke, trapping many people inside.
What did the Prime Minister of Thailand say?
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, after visiting the incident site, said that 27 bodies have been recovered so far. At the same time, Suriachai Raviwan, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, also confirmed that the death toll is currently stable at 27.
According to officials, 63 people injured in the accident have been admitted to the hospital. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that the condition of 22 of these people is still critical.
How did the accident happen?
Officials said that according to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly after smoke rose from near the stage. Prime Minister Anutin said that the musicians performing on the stage at that time told that they saw smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage. Soon after this the power went out and then there was an explosion.
Eyewitnesses said that within a few moments of the explosion, the entire complex was filled with dense smoke, making it extremely difficult for people to find their way out. A band member who survived the accident, whose head was still bandaged, told local media: “I didn’t see anyone running after the explosion. Most of the people were lying on the ground, pleading for help.”
There was no oxygen to breathe
He said, “I ran towards the door located about five meters away from the stage. There was complete darkness, there was smoke all around and there was no oxygen to breathe.” Kan Koutirat, a tourist from Laos who was present in the pub, said that he saw smoke rising near the stage, after which there was chaos.
He said, “I have never seen anything like this in my life.” He later wrote on social media, “I could only get one person out. I tried my best. Forgive me.”
dead bodies found near toilet
Prime Minister Anutin said that after the fire, many people panicked and ran towards the toilets located at the back of the building. “Most of the victims reached the toilets located at the back, where there was no way out. They may have done so in panic due to the fire and smoke,” he said.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that many of the dead were found near a fire exit. Investigators are also finding out whether this exit route was blocked in some way.
What did the firefighters say?
Chakrit Khongkom, one of the first firefighters to reach the scene, said the smoke proved to be more dangerous than the fire. He said, “The fire was not that severe, but the smoke had engulfed the entire pub 100 percent. There was only smoke everywhere.”
He told that most of the survivors were in a state of suffocation due to smoke.
Motorcycle taxi driver saved many lives
Motorcycle taxi driver Surin Jaharn, who was helping people at the scene, said he saw flames coming out from the main entrance of the pub. He said, “I am extremely sad. I saw so many people dying. I don’t know what happened to the people I helped.”
He said that he tried to extinguish the fire on the bodies of several injured people with the help of his clothes, while another driver took an injured woman to a safe place. Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai told that after getting information about the fire, she immediately reached the pub because many members of her band were performing there. He told that one member of his band has died, three members are hospitalized, while another member is still missing.
Officials have clarified that the actual cause of the fire has not been known yet. Suriyachai Raviwan said that the final conclusion will come only after the police investigation is completed.
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