Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging and plumes coming out of the front door of the Na Ladprao pub in the northern part of the Thai capital. People were seen trying to flee as thick black smoke billows into the sky.
“We have recovered 27 bodies, others are being sent to hospital,” said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site of the fire that broke out at 11.57 pm local time on Sunday.
Based on survivor accounts, he said the pub in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district rapidly filled with smoke after a fire broke out, forcing many to run to the back of the venue near the bathrooms, but there were no fire escapes.
Another 63 people injured in the incident have been hospitalised, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
“The number of deaths has stabilised at 27,” he said.
Of those injured and hospitalised, 22 are in critical condition, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters. He said authorities are working on identifying victims as many did not carry an ID or were unconscious.
By the time the rescue workers arrived at the scene of the accident, the fire that witnesses said ignited at the front of the venue’s stage had already burned through the area, according to Suriyachai. “We have to wait for the police to investigate,” he added.
Anutin said a musician who was performing at the pub told him that 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. Many of victims were found at the restrooms at the back of the pub, Anutin added.
Firefighters took about half an hour to bring the fire under control. Photos of the aftermath show charred tables and chairs, and the damaged interior of the pub. A registration spot was set up to gather information from relatives coming at the scene looking for their loved ones.
In the early hours of the morning, emergency personnel remained at the scene as bodies were prepared for transport and forensic teams collected evidence to help identify the victims.
Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she was performing nearby when she heard news of the fire and rushed to the scene because several of her bandmates were performing at the pub. She said one of them died, three were hospitalised, and one hasn’t been located.
“From what I heard from people who were inside, when the fire started everything went dark. The power was out and there was smoke everywhere, so they couldn’t locate other people,” she said.
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 January 1, 2009 New Year’s Eve celebration at the Santika nightclub in Thailand’s capital. That blaze was apparently sparked by an indoor fireworks display. (Agencies)
