The 33 people who perished in a Bangkok bar fire died after inhaling cyanide and carbon monoxide released by the blaze, autopsies found.
The gases stop the body’s tissues from taking in oxygen and can kill within minutes if inhaled at high concentrations, according to Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Siam Boonsom.
The findings were presented to police as part of the investigation into the fire at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, a beer hall and live-music venue in the Thai capital, on 12 July.
The blaze broke out shortly before midnight and quickly became the city’s deadliest in 17 years. Besides killing 33, it injured more than 70 people, 24 of them critically.
Several officers who entered the building suffered respiratory irritation and severe smoke inhalation. They were treated at the Police General Hospital and later discharged.
Investigators suspected an overloaded electrical system as the likely cause even as evidence emerged that an emergency exit had been bolted shut when the blaze broke out.
The venue had applied for less electricity than it ended up drawing and, therefore, sought an upgrade, according to the Metropolitan Electricity Authority. Officials tried to inspect the premises, only to be repeatedly told that it wasn’t ready, police said.
Investigators reportedly found the venue carried out electrical work anyway, likely overloading the system before a short circuit started the fire, according to the Nation.
Attention has also fallen on an emergency exit near the toilets.
The door had been secured with a bolt, and those trying to escape had to remove it before they could get out, police said. Emergency exits are normally required to stay readily accessible.
Investigators were examining how the locked door affected the evacuation and whether all four of the venue’s entrances and exits met safety standards.
They were also checking whether the bar had carried out emergency evacuation drills.
Police have so far questioned more than 106 people, including the venue’s management and staff, relatives of the dead and injured, forensic officers, engineers and power officials, according to the Nation. They have also sought statements from electricians who worked on the premises previously.
The owner was still on ventilator support but was said to be improving gradually. The owner’s mother, named in company records as a partner in the business, hadn’t been questioned as she wasn’t thought to be involved in daily operations, according to the Nation.
The owner’s sister, described as a member of the management team, had given a statement, however.
Police were also examining whether there were undeclared partners in the business and reviewing the company’s financial records to establish where profits went.
Investigators expect to charge the owner once they are able to communicate, with possible allegations including negligence causing death and serious injury, unauthorised building alterations and operating beyond the venue’s licence. No charges had been filed yet though.
Police were also set to investigate whether district officials had failed to inspect the building properly.
The ongoing investigation was being expedited on the directions of Thailand’s prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, police said, adding that the completed case file would combine evidence from forensic, medical, engineering, and district officials.
It was the deadliest fire in Bangkok since a blaze at the Santika club during New Year celebrations in 2009 killed 67 people and injured more than 200.
