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.
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“The fire started at the top right corner of the stage,” a witness identified only as Nana told PPTV. “The singer must have seen it too, so he shouted ‘fire’ and threw away the microphone.”
“I am quite shocked. But I am lucky that when I saw the fire, I could get myself together and get out of there,” she said, adding that she saw several pub security guards with their clothing on fire.
A waitress at the venue, Thanyapat Sornsuwanhiran, also told Thai television reporters that she saw smoke near the stage.
“I shouted ‘fire’ to customers, and I was near the doors, so I directed them out. I kept shouting ‘fire, fire’ and the security guards were also helping lead people out,” she said.
Police chief Atthasit said the club had three entrances: at the front, on the side near the cashier for unloading goods and at the back. Thai public television station TPBS reported that the back door is often locked.
A DJ at the pub who did not identify himself told PPTV that the fire had spread quickly, in about a minute, when he heard the sound of an explosion, shattering windows.
The pub was lined with flammable soundproofing, and it took two hours for firefighters to put out the blaze, Manop Theprith of a private emergency services group told the television station.
His group said 40 people were injured.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has assured families of victims they will receive help from authorities and urged entertainment venues nationwide to ensure they have proper emergency exits and safety measures in place.
Concerns have long been raised about Thailand’s lax approach to health and safety, particularly in its countless bars and nightclubs.
A massive inferno erupted at a New Year’s Eve party at Bangkok’s swanky Santika club in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.
The Santika owner was jailed for three years over the blaze, which began when fireworks were let off as a rock band called Burn played on stage.
More recently, four people were killed in a fire caused by an electrical fault at a club on the holiday island of Phuket, a magnet for foreign tourists, in 2012.
Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters
