KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 27 people were killed and eight others critically injured after a fire ripped through a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, media reports said.
According to the BBC, firefighters were called to the scene shortly after midnight and found patrons fleeing through the bar’s flame-engulfed front entrance.
Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out near the stage and spread rapidly. Videos posted on X showed flames shooting from the building as panicked people ran from the scene, with some screaming and collapsing.
Firefighters reportedly responded after a passing driver spotted the fire at around 11:30 p.m. local time and alerted the authorities. The driver told local newspaper Daily News that he jumped out of his vehicle, smashed windows and helped two people escape.
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said the exact cause of the blaze remained under investigation.
He told reporters he had spoken to a musician who was performing when the fire erupted. According to the musician, the fire started near the electrical cut-out switch before spreading rapidly.
“There was a fire at the cut-out switch, and everything happened very quickly. There was an explosion, and everyone tried to escape the smoke and flames,” the prime minister quoted the musician as saying.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control within about 30 minutes. However, nine men and 18 women lost their lives, while more than 60 others were taken to hospital. Eight of the injured remain in critical condition.
Suriyachai Raviwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster department, said preliminary findings indicated that most of the victims died from smoke inhalation. However, he said further investigations were needed to determine the exact cause of death.
By Monday morning, the bar, identified as Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, had been cordoned off. Shattered windows and damaged furniture lay outside the entrance, while the smell of smoke still lingered in the area.
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