‘I ran towards the door’: Bangkok pub engulfed in flames, killing at least 27 people

Bangkok: An explosive fire at a popular pub in Thailand’s capital Bangkok has killed 27 people in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in recent years.

Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging and plumes coming out of the front door of the Na Ladprao pub – also known as Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, according to Thai media – in the Chatuchak district in the northern part of the capital.

Based on survivor accounts, he said the pub 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.

“We have recovered 27 bodies, others are being sent to hospital,” said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site of the fire that broke out at 11:57pm on Sunday (Bangkok time).

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 told Reuters.

Of those injured and hospitalised, 22 are in critical condition, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Australian officials were making urgent enquiries with local authorities to determine whether any Australians were affected. “We stand ready to provide consular assistance,” they said.

A registration spot was set up to gather information from relatives coming at the scene looking for their loved ones.

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 said.

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 in stretchers.

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

Anutin, the prime minister, 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 said.

Chadchart said the pub had procured proper permits and had fire exits, but the fire spread rapidly and smoke filled the room, potentially making it hard for patrons to escape.

In the early hours of the morning, emergency personnel remained at the pub as bodies were prepared for transport and forensic teams collected evidence to help identify the victims.

Numbered bodies lay in two rows awaiting removal, surrounded by many rescue workers. Firefighters stood near the pub’s entrance, its facade scorched and blackened by the blaze.

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.

A band member at the venue told local media that smoke suddenly filled the room after the lights briefly went out, followed by a massive explosion and fire.

“After the explosion I didn’t see anybody trying to run, most of them were on the floor asking for help,” he told reporters, his head still bandaged, without giving his name.

“I ran towards the door from the stage, about five metres. It was dark and there was smoke, no oxygen.”

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.

Reuters, AP

Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 if calling from overseas.

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