People killed in Bangkok music bar fire were found trapped in windowless toilets

Charred bottles on a table (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration via AP)

Most of the people who were killed in a fire in a Bangkok music bar were found trapped in windowless toilets where they may have sought to escape the flames that claimed at least 27 lives, authorities have said.

The blaze at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar was the city’s deadliest in 17 years. It broke out late on Sunday in a northern part of the Thai capital, and firefighters needed half an hour to bring it under control.

The fire left 25 people in hospital in critical condition, city officials said.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday (@jackfanchan/AP)

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said most of the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation.

By daybreak on Monday, the site had been cordoned off as dozens of forensic officers sought clues about what caused the fire. The bar’s street-facing windows were blown out, and debris littered the pavement, including charred television sets, speakers and an electric guitar.

The bar claimed to accommodate as many as 600 customers. It was not clear how many were present on Sunday night.

According to Bangkok’s Erawan emergency services centre, 73 people were hurt. The city government said there were 28 dead, one more than Erawan’s tally.

National Police Chief Kittharath Punpetch said most of the dead were found trapped in windowless toilets near one of the rear exits, where they may have sought shelter from the flames.

Forensic officers inspect the site of the fire (Sakchai Lalit/AP)

He said the exit was not used, and people may have been blocked from reaching it by a table set up in a hall to sell sweets, or because it was too dark to find the way out.

Access to another exit near the kitchen might also have been narrowed by shelving units and lockers, said Mr Kittharath, who visited the scene on Monday. There were signs that at least some of the exit doors might have been locked, he added.

Investigators are focusing on the ceiling above the performance stage, where they found materials that may have been used as decorative elements, he said. Police will examine whether flammable materials were used in the interior and how electrical wiring was installed across the ceiling.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that a musician who was performing at the bar told him he saw smoke coming out of a circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, then an explosion was heard and thick smoke quickly filled the place.

Video posted on social media showed people fleeing as flames shot out of the single-storey building and black smoke billowed into the sky.

Relatives of the victims arrive at a hospital in Bangkok (Sakchai Lalit/AP)

Buddhist monks visited the site on Monday morning to pray for the victims, while nurses handed out face masks to people nearby to help protect them from smoke and lingering fumes from the burned-out building.

A registration spot was set up to gather information from relatives arriving at the scene looking for their loved ones, and distressed family members gathered at Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine to identify the bodies of the fire’s victims.

Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she was performing nearby when she heard about the fire and rushed to the scene because several of her bandmates were performing at the bar. She said one of them died, three were in hospital and one had not been located. Her band later announced that the missing member was also found in hospital.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the bar offered apologies and condolences and said it was co-operating with investigators. It said the bar’s owner suffered serious injuries and was in intensive care.