The death toll from a catastrophic fire at a live music pub in Thailand’s capital rose to 30 today, officials said, as Bangkok’s governor promised tougher inspections and police examined possible negligence and breaches of safety rules.
The inferno, among Thailand’s deadliest in recent years, swept through the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in the northern Chatuchak district shortly before midnight on Sunday. Witnesses recalled an explosion, a horizontal wall of flame and thick smoke swallowing the single-storey venue.
Officials said 24 people remained in critical condition today, while dozens of others who received treatment had been discharged. Three victims taken to hospital after the fire have since died.
Standing at a busy intersection near train stations and two shopping malls, the pub belongs to a cluster of similar venues that regularly draw weekend crowds with food, alcohol, live music and televised football.
“We’ve set up a committee to investigate the truth, what should be improved and what rules should be changed,” Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said.
“We will do more random checks.”
Police have interviewed 34 people so far and said they would consider charges once investigators had collected the necessary facts and evidence. The pub’s owner is among those receiving treatment in an intensive care unit.
A Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department member examines the charred remains of the venue
At Police General Hospital today, grieving relatives arrived to claim the bodies of their loved ones. One man stood over a coffin holding a stick of incense.
Booyaporn Sermsiri came to the hospital seeking news of her missing 25-year-old daughter, Jawaee ‘Cartoon’ Sermsiri.
“Since we haven’t found her yet, we can only wait. We are holding onto hope,” she said.
Cartoon’s friend had telephoned Booyaporn early yesterday morning to tell her about the fire and say she had been unable to reach her daughter.
Booyaporn, 51, said she had provided a DNA sample and that police told her the result could be available later today.
“I am praying. Praying that she is alright,” she said.
Officials said three of those killed have not yet been identified.
Footage captures flames bursting from the entrance of the Bangkok pub
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said soon after the disaster that smoke inhalation was the likely cause of death for most victims.
Forensic officers have combed through the wreckage as authorities work to determine how the blaze began and why it proved so lethal. Investigators are considering a possible electrical fault and whether emergency exits may have been blocked.
Several witnesses reported seeing smoke inside the pub before midnight, followed by the lights going out, an explosion and fierce flames that drove patrons towards the exits.
Interior ministry official Unsit Sampuntharat said today that investigators were also reviewing the venue’s license, including whether it had permission to stage live music.
Relatives returned to the fire-blackened bar this morning, where they placed garlands and offered prayers for those who died.
Close by, staff from the Union shopping mall rehearsed using fire extinguishers, tackling flames in a controlled pit under the supervision of firefighters.
