At least 27 killed, eight critically injured in Bangkok bar fire

BBC:

At least 27 people have been killed and eight left critically injured after a fire tore through a bar in Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak district, Thailand’s prime minister has said.

Firefighters were called to the scene just after midnight on Monday, and discovered patrons fleeing through the flame-enveloped front door of the venue.

Eyewitnesses say the fire started near the bar’s stage and spread rapidly, cutting power, and filling the room with smoke. Footage posted on X shows flames blasting out of the bar as people are seen running out, some screaming, and some falling over.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Firefighters arrived at the scene just after midnight, reportedly after a passing driver saw the venue on fire around 23:30 local time. He told local news outlet the Daily News that he leapt out of his car and broke windows to help two people escape.

Prime Minister Anutin told reporters that he had spoken to a musician, who was performing when the fire started, who recounted what happened.

“He said that there was a fire at the cut-out switch, and after that things happened very quickly. There was blasting and everybody tried to flee from the smoke and flames,” he said.

“Many of them were not able to make their way out because they went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves from the smoke and flames in the toilet, and that’s where we found most of the bodies.”

Firefighters were reportedly able to bring the flames under control in about half an hour, but despite this – some nine men and 18 women were killed, and more than 60 are being treated in hospital, eight of whom are critically injured.

Initial findings suggest that majority of the victims had died from smoke inhalation, said Suriyachai Raviwan, the director of Bangkok’s disaster department. However, he added, further investigation was needed to confirm this.

One motorcyclist, Surin Jaiharn, told AFP that he helped about five people flee the burning bar, using clothing to extinguish flames on their bodies.

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

As of Monday morning, the bar – Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao – has been cordoned off, with shattered windows and furniture piled up outside its entrance. An acrid smell of burning lingers in the air.