At least 27 killed in Bangkok pub fire, dozens injured
A massive fire tore through a bar in Bangkok's Chatuchak district just before midnight on Sunday, killing at least 27 people and injuring more than 60 others.
At least 27 people have been killed after a fire tore through a bar in Bangkok, Thailand's prime minister has said - in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in recent years.
Firefighters were called to the venue in the city's Chatuchak district just before midnight on Sunday, with flames said to have spread rapidly through the front of the building.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said 27 bodies had been recovered from the scene (9 men, 18 women), while dozens more people were taken to hospital. More than 60 people are being treated for injuries.
Survivor accounts suggested the fire started near an electrical cut-out switch, before the blaze and smoke spread quickly. Many people tried to escape through the back of the venue and hid in toilets to avoid the smoke and flames. "That's where we found most of the bodies," the prime minister said.
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, his head still bandaged, without giving his name.
The bar, named locally as Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, is described by Thai media as a popular restaurant and entertainment venue in the area.
Source: LBC / Reuters