Bangkok pub fire kills 27 people and 22 critically injured, officials say

Bangkok pub fire kills 27 people and 22 critically injured, officials say. Summary: Another 63 people injured, 22 in critical condition - Bangkok officials. Prime minister says survivors reported no fire escapes near rear bathrooms. A band member said smoke followed a blackout, then a massive explosion. BANGKOK, July 13 (Reuters) - An explosive fire at a popular pub in Thailand's capital Bangkok has killed 27 people, with another 22 injured in critical condition, officials said on Monday, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in recent years. "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 11:57 p.m. (0457 GMT) 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 told Reuters. Of those injured and hospitalised, 22 are in critical condition, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters. 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. 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. Firefighter Chakrit Khongkom, 45, said he arrived on the first fire truck to see the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub alight and many patrons stranded inside. "The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100% of the venue. The smoke was everywhere," he said. Body-camera footage from an emergency worker seen by Reuters showed firefighters in oxygen masks moving through the darkened remains of the pub. 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.