At least 27 people have been killed after a devastating fire tore through a bar in Bangkok, with frantic patrons seen running through blazing flames to escape the inferno.
The fire broke out just after midnight on Monday at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in the Chatuchak district, a popular restaurant and entertainment venue. Footage shared by emergency services showed flames blasting out of the front door as people ran screaming, some falling over, with at least two people appearing to be on fire. A passing driver who spotted the fire at 23:30 local time leapt out of his car and broke windows to help two people escape.
“At least 27 killed in Bangkok bar fire; victims found hiding in toilets as flames engulfed venue.”
Thailand's prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, told reporters at the scene that 27 bodies had been recovered, comprising nine men and 18 women. More than 60 others are being treated in hospital, and a number of people remain missing, according to Thai outlet Thairath.
Speaking to journalists, Anutin said he had spoken to a musician who was performing when the fire started. “He said that there was a fire at the cut-out switch, and after that things happened very quickly,” the prime minister recounted. “There was blasting and everybody tried to flee from the smoke and flames. Many of them were not able to make their way out because they went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves from the smoke and flames in the toilet, and that's where we found most of the bodies.”
Firefighters from three stations – Phaholyothin, Phaya Thai and Huai Khwang – battled the blaze with three water hoses and brought it under control in about half an hour. Images from the aftermath show charred tables and chairs, blackened walls and ceiling, and peeling paint. Body bags lined up outside the bar, with a large cordon in place.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Anutin said.
Thailand has seen similar tragedies before. In 2022, 14 people died in a fire at a music bar in the east of the country. More than a decade earlier, 66 people were killed and over 200 injured in a fire at the Santika nightclub in Bangkok during New Year's Eve celebrations in 2009, a blaze apparently sparked by an indoor fireworks display.
