At least 27 dead and 22 seriously injured in Bangkok pub fire

A massive fire at a popular pub in the Thai capital, Bangkok, has left 27 dead and another 22 critically injured. According to officials, the fire broke out at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district at 11:57 p.m. (local time) on Sunday.

27 bodies found: Prime Minister

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people had died and that several injured had been taken to hospital. According to him, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

“We found 27 bodies, others are being sent to the hospital,” Prime Minister Anutin said.

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

Another 63 people injured in the incident were hospitalized, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

“The death toll has stabilized at 27,” he told Reuters.

For the first time, smoke was seen coming from the circuit breaker

While the exact cause of the deadly fire is still under investigation, the Thai prime minister, citing a musician who was performing at the venue, said smoke was first seen coming from a circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, and then an explosion was heard and thick smoke quickly filled the venue.

Many of the victims were found in the toilets at the back of the pub, Prime Minister Anutin added.

Based on survivors’ accounts, he said the pub quickly filled with smoke after the fire broke out, forcing many to flee to the back of the business near the toilets, but there were no fire escapes.

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

“After the explosion, I didn’t see anyone trying to escape; most of them were on the floor asking for help,” he told reporters.

“I ran from the stage to the door, about five meters. It was dark and smoke, no oxygen.”

Chakrit Khongkom, a firefighter who was one of the first to arrive at the scene after the fire broke out, said many patrons were trapped inside and several were trying to escape from the back of the venue. The few people who passed through the front of the compound were burned.

“The fire was not that aggressive, but smoke engulfed 100% of the venue. Smoke was everywhere,” he told Reuters. “Most of the survivors were suffocating from the smoke.”

According to Bangkok Governor Chadchart, the pub had obtained the proper permits and had fire exits, but the fire spread quickly and smoke filled the room, potentially making it difficult for guests to escape.

The worst pub fire accidents in Thailand

Sunday’s fire tragedy was one of the worst such accidents in the history of the global tourist hotspot. The Southeast Asian nation has experienced similar tragedies in the past. In 2022, 14 people died in a fire at a music pub in the eastern part of the country.

66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a New Year’s Eve party on January 1, 2009 at the Santika nightclub in the Thai capital. This fire was apparently started by indoor fireworks.