A huge fire broke out in a Bangkok music bar on late Sunday, resulting in at least 27 deaths. It reportedly took firefighters half an hour to bring the blaze under control.
The fire at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar was the city’s deadliest in 17 years.
Horror of ‘windowless bathrooms’
Most of the dead were found trapped in windowless bathrooms near one of the rear exits, where they may have sought shelter from the flames, National Police Chief Kittharath Punpetch said, as per news agency AP.
He continued that the exit was not used, and people may have been blocked from reaching it by a table set up in a hall to sell candy, or because it was too dark to find the way out.
Meanwhile, access to another exit near the kitchen might also have been narrowed by shelving units and lockers, said the police official.
There were signs that at least some of the exit doors might have been locked, he also noted.
Ceiling above the stage
The police chief further added that the investigating officials focused on the ceiling above a performance stage. There were materials found that may have been used as decorative elements.
The authorities will probe if flammable materials were used in the interior and how electrical wiring was installed across the ceiling.
Videos surfaced online
A video that emerged on social media reportedly showed people fleeing as fire shot out of the single-story building and black smoke billowed.
Bangkok fire incident
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that most of the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation.
Meanwhile, the news agency further reported that according to Bangkok’s Erawan emergency services center, 73 people were injured in the blaze. The Bangkok city government said there were 28 deaths, one more than Erawan’s tally.
