A huge fire engulfed a pub in Bangkok, killing at least 27 people before firefighters brought the blaze under control, officials say.
Warning: This article contains images some readers may find distressing.
Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging from the front door of the pub in the northern part of the Thai capital as people tried to flee, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says at least 27 people have died and several more have been taken to the hospital. (AP: Sakchai Lalit)
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people died and several had been taken to the hospital.
He said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Rescuers said the fire was reported around midnight, and firefighters took about half an hour to bring it under control.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. (AP: Sakchai Lalit)
Photos of the aftermath show charred tables and chairs, as well as the pub’s damaged interior.
Bangkok’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said 63 people were injured in the blaze, with 22 of them still in critical condition.
Thailand has seen similar tragedies before.
It took about half an hour to bring the fire under control. (AP: Sakchai Lalit)
In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a music pub in the eastern part of the country.
And 66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a January 1, 2009, New Year’s Eve celebration at the Santika nightclub in Thailand’s capital.
An indoor fireworks display apparently sparked that blaze.
AP
