A massive fire ripped through the Rong Beer Na Ladprao music bar in northern Bangkok shortly before midnight on Sunday, killing at least 27 people and leaving 73 injured, including 25 in critical condition. The blaze is the Thai capital’s deadliest fire in 17 years.
Images from the scene showed flames engulfing the single-storey building as thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Shoes abandoned by people trying to escape were scattered outside the venue. Firefighters brought the blaze under control about 30 minutes after it broke out, PTI reported.
By Monday morning, the area had been sealed off as forensic officers examined the charred remains to determine the cause of the fire. The building’s front windows had been blown out, while debris including burnt television sets, speakers and an electric guitar, lay strewn across the pavement. Burned tables, some still holding empty beer bottles, remained visible inside.
Thai national police chief Kittharath Punpetch said most of the victims were found trapped inside windowless bathrooms near one of the rear exits, where they had apparently taken shelter from the flames.
He said the exit had not been used and people may have been unable to reach it because a table selling candy blocked the way or because the darkness made it difficult to locate. Another exit near the kitchen may also have been partially obstructed by shelving units and lockers. Investigators also found indications that some exit doors might have been locked.
Police are focusing on the ceiling above the performance stage, where decorative materials were found. Investigators will examine whether flammable materials were used inside the venue and whether the electrical wiring installed across the ceiling contributed to the blaze.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said a musician performing at the venue told him smoke was seen coming from a circuit breaker near the stage before the electricity failed. An explosion followed and thick smoke rapidly filled the bar.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said most of the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation. Authorities are working to identify victims, as many were not carrying identification documents.
Buddhist monks visited the site on Monday to pray for those who died, while nurses distributed face masks to nearby residents because of lingering smoke and fumes. A registration centre was also set up for relatives searching for missing loved ones.
Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she rushed to the scene after learning about the fire because several of her bandmates had been performing at the bar. One died, three were hospitalised and another remains unaccounted for.
“From what I heard from people who were inside, when the fire started everything went dark. The power was out and there was smoke everywhere, so they couldn’t locate other people,” she said.
At Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, grieving families gathered to identify victims.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly nightclub fires in Thailand. In 2022, a fire at a music bar in the country’s east killed 14 people. Earlier, 67 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the Jan 1, 2009, Santika nightclub fire in Bangkok, which was reportedly triggered by an indoor fireworks display.
