Bangkok Live Music Pub Fire Claims 32 Lives

Bangkok. The death toll in the horrific fire at a popular live music pub in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, has reached 32. The death toll increased after two more injured people died during treatment. According to the Erawan Emergency Medical Center, 30 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals as of Wednesday. 15 of them are undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), while 44 people have been discharged from the hospital. This fire, considered the deadliest in Thailand in the last 17 years, occurred on Sunday night at a pub called Rong Beer Na Ladphrao. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.

According to Virun Supasingsiripricha, head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, most deaths were due to suffocation from smoke, while some died from burns. According to local police, most of the people found dead were in a toilet without a window. It is estimated that they may have gone there to escape the fire. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Police are investigating whether there was negligence at the pub. Specifically, an investigation is underway into whether the emergency exit was blocked.

Officials say the fire may have started due to an electrical short circuit in the air conditioner installed on the ceiling. Some experts, however, suggested that the fire might have spread rapidly with intense heat and smoke due to easily flammable soundproofing materials used around the stage. On Wednesday, some survivors and family members of the deceased went to the police station to give statements, retrieve their belongings, and demand compensation. According to the lawyer of the pub operator, in the initial phase, 10,000 Thai Baht (approximately 300 US dollars) will be provided as compensation to the survivors and the families of the deceased.