Thai police say cause of club fire is still unclear

THE cause of a fire in a Bangkok nightclub that killed 59 New Year revellers is still not clear so it is premature to file criminal charges, Thai police said yesterday.

More than 200 people were also injured in the fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday in the Santika nightclub, popular with foreigners and high-society Thais.

“We can’t charge anybody right now because things are still unclear,” deputy National Police Chief Chongrak Chutanont told a news conference. “The only charge we could lay against the club owner is allowing teenagers aged below 18 to enter.”