A massive fire at a pub north of Bangkok has killed at least 30 people and injured 75 others, 24 of them seriously, the tragedy has brought back into focus concerns about fire safety standards and their enforcement in Thailand's entertainment and tourism industries.
According to authorities, the fire broke out at 23:57 p.m. on Sunday and was suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit in an air conditioner located on the ceiling.
Footage published on social media shows that initially only thick smoke was coming from the entrance of the bar, while a few seconds later a large column of flames engulfed the exit, causing panic among customers.
Although firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes, many people were trapped inside the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar. According to experts, highly flammable materials used for decoration and soundproofing the environment were immediately engulfed in flames, creating high temperatures and large amounts of toxic smoke.
Thai police are also investigating whether emergency exits were blocked, which may have prevented customers from evacuating. The bar had passed a safety inspection in April.
"The severity of this fire was a result of a large load of combustible materials," said Busakorn Saenjuk, chairwoman of the Fire Protection Engineering Committee at the Institute of Engineering of Thailand, who inspected the site after the incident.
According to her, the ceiling was covered with highly flammable decorative materials, including artificial trees and flowers used to create a decorative environment, especially in the stage and counter areas, factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.
