Thai authorities have launched an investigation into whether negligence contributed to the deadly fire that tore through a Bangkok bar late on Sunday, as survivors reported locked doors and poorly marked emergency exits.
Police believe the rapid spread of the blaze may have been fuelled by flammable decorative materials near the stage, where the fire is believed to have started, reports BBC.
“This indicates a lack of caution and disregard for the safety of the patrons,” Police General Kittiratt Phanphet said on Monday.
The fire has claimed at least 30 lives and left more than 70 people injured, including 24 in critical condition.
Authorities said on Tuesday morning that 27 of the victims had been identified.
Emergency responders discovered many of the victims inside the bar’s restrooms, where investigators believe they had attempted to escape but became trapped.
Preliminary findings suggest the fire was triggered by a short circuit in an air conditioner, which quickly caused a power outage throughout the venue.
However, several people who had previously visited the bar described it as being dimly lit even under normal circumstances.
Phatsara Khamloet, who visited the venue in May, told BBC Thai she had to navigate a “winding route” to reach the bathroom and said the emergency exits were not clearly marked.
Busakorn Saensuk, a fire safety expert from the Engineering Institute of Thailand who inspected the site at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, said the exit door near the restrooms had been locked, while the two entrance doors were partially blocked by furniture and other objects.
Customers would instinctively have run away from the fire, towards the back where the restrooms were, Busakorn tells BBC Thai.
“But once they reached the back, they couldn’t get out.
“If the emergency signs were lit, people would have been able to see how the door was locked and may have been able to unlock it,” she says.
Busakorn also said the stage had been decorated with highly flammable materials, including plastic flowers, while combustible foam had been installed across the ceiling.
Survivors said the stage was engulfed in flames within seconds. Thai indie band Thotsakan, which was performing when the fire broke out, lost two of its members in the tragedy.
Worsak Kanok Nukulchai, a professor specialising in structural engineering, said many victims likely died after inhaling toxic smoke before suffering burn injuries.
The initial flames reacted with the combustible materials, producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, commonly referred to as the “toxic twins” of fire smoke, he explained.
Bangkok authorities confirmed that the venue had been registered as a “restaurant with live music” rather than an “entertainment venue”, meaning it was not required to use fire-retardant materials.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said it is reviewing regulations governing construction and decorative materials used in both entertainment venues and restaurants.
According to PBS Thai, the owner of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao previously owned another pub in Yasothon province that was destroyed by fire in December 2019.
The earlier fire caused no casualties because it occurred during the daytime, the report said.
