At least 27 people were killed and 63 injured, including 22 critically, after a fire tore through a crowded pub in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district shortly before midnight, Thai authorities said.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the scene, said most victims died from smoke inhalation after “smoke from a circuit breaker near the stage, followed by a power outage and an explosion.”
“Most of the victims ran to the back, to toilets with no exit, probably because of panic caused by the fire and smoke,” he told reporters.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the blaze spread rapidly to the ceiling and that smoke inhalation was likely the main cause of death. Authorities believe a fire exit may have been obstructed, while Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said firefighters found tables and chairs blocking access inside the venue.
Police said the fire was brought under control about two hours after it broke out. The cause remains under investigation, according to Thai PBS World.
