BEER crates blocked vital exits leaving dozens trapped inside the doomed Thai bar after a horror fire killed 27 people
Horror footage shows survivors scrambling to escape the deadly fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub, Bangkok.
The inferno at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao killed 27 people Credit: AFP
Investigators probe negligence as the cause of the deadly fire Credit: AP
Terrified patrons run for their lives through the bar as the disco lights flash and smoke consumes the area.
The footage shows horizonal orange flames furiously roaring from the bar’s windows and doors.
On Monday, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has confirmed that fire exit obstructions hindered evacuations.
He said: “There are two fire exits, one is near the kitchen. There were beer crates in the way.”
The singer has described her narrow escape from the inferno Credit: Supplied
A singer who performed at the venue and who lost a friend told Thai newspaper : “Smoke rose from the cutout area above the keyboard player’s head… The keyboard player told us to hurry and escape.”
“Then the lights went out in the shop and the place was filled with smoke.
“At the time of the incident, my friend, who is also a singer, was probably around the middle of the venue.
“I was near the stage and barely made it out in time because when the explosion happened, I was thrown back.
The damage at a pub following the deadly fire Credit: Getty
Members of emergency personnel work next to covered bodies at the site of a deadly fire Credit: Reuters
“I got burned around the back of my head and arms, and my friend, who is the drummer, also got burned because he couldn’t get out in time.
“After the explosion, people were lying there crying for help. It was incredibly hot. My friend who was burned was lying there crying by the door. Everything happened so fast.”
The pub rapidly filled with smoke after the fire began, forcing victims to run to the back of the venue near the bathrooms.
Due to the obstructed fire escapes, many became trapped inside as the flames ripped through the building.
The bar prior to the blaze Credit: Tiktok/Party.verse
The tables and chairs are covered in ash at the scene of a fatal fire Credit: EPA
A number of the victims were found in the bathrooms, according to authorities.
Thailand’s national chief said: “At this time, police have established negligence as the primary theory guiding their investigation.”
Police say there may have been issues with fire exits, overloaded wiring and use of flammable materials in renovations.
The office of the Bangkok governor said the pub’s ceiling materials, decorations and indoor equipment will be examined, as well as the possibility that tables and other items may have been blocking exits.
Investigators say beer crates blocking the exit turned the Thai bar into a death trap Credit: AFP
Credit: EPA
Investigators say that beer crates blocking the exit turned the Thai bar into a death trap – ultimately killing 27 people.
A short circuit in an air conditioner located in the ceiling was likely the genesis of the fire, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The incident, on
The relatives of the victims have been called to the hospital morgue to identify the bodies.
One of relatives of fire victims (L) leaving the Institute of Forensic Police hospital in Bangkok Credit: AP
Many of the victims were found in the bathrooms Credit: Reuters
Officials say the fire had already burned through the venue by the time rescuers arrived and that witnesses reported flames in front of the stage.
Authorities continue to investigate.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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