Thai authorities are investigating whether negligence contributed to the devastating fire that tore through a Bangkok bar late Sunday, killing at least 28 people and leaving dozens more injured.
Police believe the blaze started near the stage, with preliminary investigations pointing to a short circuit in an air conditioner that quickly cut power throughout the venue. However, investigators are also examining whether poor safety measures and highly flammable decorations worsened the tragedy.
National Police Chief Police General Kittiratt Phanphet said the use of combustible decorative materials suggested a lack of proper safety precautions and raised serious concerns about the protection of customers inside the premises.
Survivors have claimed that emergency exits were difficult to identify due to poor signage, while some doors were allegedly locked during the fire. Many victims were found inside the bar’s restrooms, where investigators believe they became trapped while desperately trying to escape the flames.
Fire safety expert Busakorn Saensuk from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, who inspected the scene, said the door near the restrooms was locked, while the two main entrance doors were partially blocked by furniture and other objects.
She explained that patrons would naturally have fled away from the flames towards the rear of the building, only to find themselves unable to get out. According to Busakorn, illuminated emergency exit signs could have helped people identify the locked door sooner and possibly find another escape route.
Investigators also found that the stage was decorated with highly flammable materials, including plastic flowers, while the ceiling contained combustible foam. Survivors said the stage was engulfed in flames within seconds after the fire broke out.
The tragedy also claimed the lives of two members of Thai indie band Thotsakan, who were performing at the venue when the blaze erupted.
Structural engineering expert Professor Worsak Kanok Nukulchai believes many victims may have died from inhaling toxic smoke before the flames reached them. He said burning plastic and foam likely released dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, both of which can quickly prove fatal.
Authorities have also confirmed that the venue, Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, was licensed as a restaurant with live music rather than an entertainment venue. As a result, it was not legally required to use fire-retardant building and decorative materials.
Following the disaster, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said it is reviewing existing safety regulations governing restaurants and entertainment venues, including the types of materials permitted in their construction and interior decoration.
Local reports also revealed that the owner of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao previously operated another pub in Yasothon Province, which was destroyed in a fire in December 2019. No casualties were reported in that earlier incident because the blaze occurred during the daytime.
The investigation into the cause of the latest fire and any potential breaches of safety regulations remains ongoing.
