At least 27 killed in fire at Bangkok pub with another 22 critically injured

Inside of the pub where the fire broke out. Picture: Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters.

A fire at a popular pub in Thailand’s ⁠capital, Bangkok, has killed 27 ⁠people, with another 22 ​in critical condition, officials said on Monday, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in recent years.

The prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, ‌who visited the site of the fire in the early hours of Monday, told reporters that based on survivor accounts, the pub rapidly filled with smoke after a fire broke out, forcing ‌many to run to the back of the venue near the bathrooms.

At least 63 people were injured, 22 critically, in the incident at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster administration.

The initial assessment was that an electrical short ‌circuit in an air conditioner located in the ‌ceiling caused the fire, the disaster administration said.

Based on survivor accounts, officials said the fire is understood to have started at the front stage section of the pub and spread ‌rapidly, forcing many to run to the back of the venue, which houses the kitchen and the bathrooms.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said investigators would examine whether any emergency exits may have been obstructed, potentially making it more difficult for people to evacuate.

“We need to wait for forensic investigators to examine the scene more closely,” he said.

The governor also said the owner of the pub was inside the building when the fire broke out, and is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital, according to local media.

By the time the rescue workers arrived at the scene, the fire, which witnesses said ignited at the front of the venue’s stage, ‌had already burned through the area, Suriyachai said.

On Monday morning, families of the victims gathered at a police headquarters morgue to identify bodies. Staff at the morgue told the Guardian it was believed that most of the victims were Thai nationals between 25 and 50.

The pub, Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, is a popular live music venue situated in Chatuchak, a suburb in Bangkok’s north known for its sprawling weekend markets popular with tourists. The venue’s Facebook page advertises live Thai performers and bands.

An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said officials were making urgent inquiries with Thai authorities to determine whether any Australians were affected.

“We stand ready to provide consular assistance,” they said. “Australians will be shocked to hear of the terrible loss of life in the restaurant fire in Bangkok. Our sincere condolences are with all those affected.” 

Laotian tourist Kan Kutirat told the AFP news agency he “heard loud screaming from a lot of people inside – chaos happened”.

He shared a video on Facebook, verified by AFP, that showed patrons – several with their shirts ablaze – fleeing into the street as flames surged out the door.

Usa Tadsree, 40, was visiting the bar and stepped outside to smoke with a friend. When the fire started she tried to go back in to help but there was too much smoke. 

Two of her friends died and a third is in a critical condition.

Body-camera footage from an emergency worker seen by Reuters shows firefighters in oxygen masks moving through the darkened remains of the pub with torches as they searched for survivors.

Several victims can be seen lying prone on the floor near the pub’s toilets while rescue workers carry stretchers.

The video also shows what appears to be ​the fire-damaged main room of the venue, with bar tables and stools still visible.

Thailand has seen similar tragedies in the past. In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a music pub in the eastern part of the country.

And more than a decade before that, 66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a 2009 New Year’s Eve celebration at the Santika nightclub in Thailand’s capital. 

That blaze was apparently sparked by an indoor fireworks display.

- The Guardian