Huge bar fire kills at least 27, injures 22
A number of the victims were found near a fire exit that authorities believe may have been blocked.
A number of the victims were found near a fire exit that authorities believe may have been blocked.
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — A huge fire in a Bangkok bar killed at least 27 people and injured dozens, officials and witnesses said Monday, the deadliest such incident in Thailand for almost two decades.
People ran screaming out of the venue on the outskirts of the Thai capital on Sunday evening as flames shot out of the entrance, several with their clothing burned or ablaze, according to video verified by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
An AFP journalist saw several body bags on the ground early Monday morning outside the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar and restaurant. A few hours later, forensic police began combing their way through the devastated venue.
“The fire spread very quickly, reaching up to the ceiling. Smoke was likely the main cause of death,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters at the scene.
He said 27 people were killed and 63 were hospitalized with injuries, including 22 in critical condition, adding that authorities had launched an investigation.
It was the deadliest fire in Thailand since a blaze tore through Bangkok’s Santika club during New Year celebrations in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.
A number of the victims were found near a fire exit that authorities believe may have been blocked, the governor said.
Motorbike taxi driver Surin Jaiharn said he saw the fire burst into the street from the bar door and helped about five people fleeing with burnt and blistering skin.
“I feel depressed. I saw many deaths and I do not know the fate of the people I helped,” the 45-year-old told AFP.
He said he used cloths to put out flames on their bodies while another driver carried a female victim away from the danger.
Authorities said Monday they had identified 10 of the victims so far, nine of them Thai nationals and the other from Laos.
