In a tragic update on Tuesday, authorities reported that the death toll from a catastrophic fire at a live music pub in Thailand’s bustling capital has sadly risen to 30. The tragic incident has prompted Bangkok’s governor to pledge more rigorous safety inspections, while police delve into potential negligence and breaches of safety protocols.
This harrowing blaze, marking one of Thailand’s deadliest in recent history, swept through the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in the city’s northern Chatuchak district just before midnight on Sunday. Witnesses recounted scenes of chaos as an explosion and a horizontal blaze of fire and smoke rapidly engulfed the single-story establishment.
By Tuesday, 24 individuals remained in critical condition, though the number of those who had been treated and discharged continued to grow. Unfortunately, three people who were hospitalized succumbed to their injuries, bringing the grim tally higher still.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed on Tuesday morning that no Australians appeared to have been impacted by this devastating event.
“We stand ready to provide consular assistance if required,” stated the spokesperson, extending support should any related needs arise.
The pub, located at a busy intersection next to train stations and two shopping malls, is one of a cluster of similar bars often crowded on weekend nights, serving food, alcohol and offering live music and televised football.
Authorities say an electrical short circuit in a ceiling air conditioner could have triggered the fire in the pub, which underwent a safety inspection in April. Police are investigating whether exits were obstructed and the use of flammable materials for stage decorations and soundproofing.
“We’ve set up a committee to investigate the truth, what should be improved and what rules should be changed” Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt told a press conference on Tuesday.
“We will do more random checks.”
Police said 34 people had been interviewed so far and charges would be considered after facts and evidence had been gathered. The owner is among those being treated in an intensive care unit.
‘We apologise deeply’
At a Bangkok morgue on Tuesday, rescue workers were seen moving a coffin of one of the victims, surrounded by television cameras and a throng of reporters as emotional family members and friends arrived to collect the body.
Outside Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, some of the relatives were mourning those killed as forensics personnel gathered evidence from the scene.
The pub on its Facebook page apologised over the fire and said it was cooperating fully with the investigation.
“We apologise deeply over the very sad events that took place and express our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and send our support to those injured,” it said in a post that had hundreds of comments, many expressing anger and questioning its safety measures.
The pub did not answer calls or respond immediately to a request for comment on the investigation’s preliminary findings.
Thailand has experienced several major fires at entertainment venues that are subject to fire safety inspections, though protocols are not always strictly adhered to.
A nightclub fire in Chonburi killed at least 13 people in 2022, and 65 people died, and about 200 were injured in a New Year’s Eve blaze at a packed Bangkok club in 2009, where an investigation uncovered corruption and safety violations.
In Bangkok’s famous Khaosan Road backpacker district packed with pubs and nightclubs and about 10km from the site of the fire, visitors expressed sadness over the incident but said they had no concerns about safety.
“It doesn’t worry us. All the places that we’ve been have been very safe,” said Connor McLernon, 30, a tourist from Boston in the United States.