Bar fire in Bangkok's Chatuchak district kills at least 27 people

Bar fire in Bangkok's Chatuchak district kills at least 27 people. BANGKOK - An explosive fire at a popular bar and restaurant in Thailand's capital Bangkok has killed 27 people, the country's prime minister and other officials said on July 13, 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 11.57pm on July 12. Thai news outlet The Bangkok Post said at least nine men and 18 women were among the dead. Based on survivors' accounts, Anutin 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, only to find 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 city's governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, told reporters that 22 of the 63 people injured are in critical condition. Thai media outlet Khaosod said some of the victims were tourists who were eating and drinking inside the venue when they were trapped and unable to escape. Another Thai media outlet, The Daily News, said it was believed that tourists could not see the main exits due to a power outage. Preliminary findings show the pub had two emergency exits, one of which passed through the kitchen area, reported Bloomberg. Investigators will determine whether the layout and use of that escape route met required safety standards. Governor 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. The live music venue has a stage, two bars and a kitchen, with a total capacity of more than 300 people, as well as four fire exits, according to a post on its Facebook page promoting a live show in July. 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. Thailand's lax approach to health and safety regulations, particularly in its bars and nightclubs, has long raised concerns. Twenty-five people died after a fire ripped through the Mountain B nightclub in Thailand's eastern Chonburi province in 2022. A huge fire tore through a New Year's Eve party at Bangkok's Santika club in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.