Fire rips through Thailand nightclub, leaving 13 dead and dozens injured
- Fire broke out early on Friday at a nightclub in Thailand’s Chonburi province, southeast of Bangkok
- Desperate revellers were seen fleeing the club screaming, their clothes ablaze, as the huge fire raged
At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured when a fire broke out early on Friday morning at a crowded nightclub in eastern Thailand, police and rescuers said.
Video circulating on social media showed people fleeing the pub while thick black smoke billowed from the door and then the entrance through which people were escaping was suddenly engulfed in flames.
Several people’s clothing was on fire as they emerged from the pub. Rescuers said more than three dozen people were injured.
The cause of the fire at the Mountain B nightspot in Sattahip district of Chonburi province, about 160km (100 miles) southeast of Bangkok, is under investigation, provincial police chief Major General Atthasit Kijjahan told PPTV television news.
He said the venue’s owner and staff were giving statements at the police station and the police forensic team would be collecting evidence at the scene. Police said the fire was reported around 12.45am.
Several witnesses described seeing smoke and fire on the ceiling near the venue’s stage followed by the sound of explosions.