A devastating fire ripped through a pub in Bangkok early Monday, claiming the lives of at least 27 people before firefighters managed to bring the inferno under control, officials confirmed.
Online footage shared by first responders showed a massive blaze and plumes of smoke erupting from the entrance of the Na Ladprao pub, located in the northern part of the Thai capital.
Harrowing scenes showed individuals attempting to escape as dense black smoke billowed into the sky. Emergency services reported the fire around midnight.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking at the scene, stated that 27 fatalities had been confirmed and several injured individuals were transported to hospitals.
He added that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Charnvirakul recounted a musician’s testimony, who was performing at the venue.
The musician reportedly saw “smoke coming out of a circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, then an explosion was heard and thick smoke quickly filled the place.”
Many of the victims were discovered in the restrooms, situated at the rear of the pub, the Prime Minister noted.
Thailand has seen similar tragedies in the past. In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a music pub in the eastern part of the country.
And more than a decade before that, 66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a Jan. 1, 2009 New Year’s Eve celebration at the Santika nightclub in Thailand’s capital. That blaze was apparently sparked by an indoor fireworks display.
