At least 27 people died after a fire affected a bar in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, during the early hours of this Monday (Sunday evening in Chile), according to authorities and local media.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight at the Na Ladprao pub, located in the northern part of the city. Emergency teams arrived at the scene and found customers trying to escape through the main entrance while the venue was engulfed in flames.
According to Associated Press, several bodies were found in the bathrooms located towards the back of the venue, where some victims may have been trapped during the emergency. Firefighters managed to control the fire in about 30 minutes.
Thai Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, arrived at the scene and confirmed that 27 people died, while several injured were taken to medical centers. The authority emphasized that the origin of the fire is still under investigation.
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According to initial information gathered by AP, the fire may have started near an electrical breaker close to the stage, after a musician noticed a problem before an explosion occurred and smoke quickly spread throughout the venue. This hypothesis has not been officially confirmed.
The affected bar, also identified by local media as Rong Beer Na Lat Phra, is noted as one of the popular venues in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok.
The tragedy once again brings attention to safety in Thailand’s nightlife venues. In 2022, a fire in a pub in the country initially left 14 dead, while in 2009 the fire at the Santika club in Bangkok caused 66 fatalities.
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