Death toll in Thai pub fire rises to 32, officials say, with dozens still in hospital

Lead

The death toll from a fire that swept through a live music pub in Bangkok has risen to 32, according to officials, as police investigate the possibility of negligence. The blaze, which broke out late on Sunday night at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao pub in the city's northern Chatuchak area, has been described as one of the deadliest in Thailand in recent years.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the incident has been consistent across multiple outlets, with the death toll initially reported as 30 and later revised upward to 32. TASS, citing forensic scientists and the Bangkok Post, reported that 27 people died at the scene and five more succumbed to their injuries in hospitals. The Guardian and Al Jazeera both noted that the death toll rose to 30 after three more people died on Tuesday, before the Police Hospital confirmed on Wednesday that two additional victims had died, bringing the total to 32.

There has been some variation in the figures for the injured and hospitalized. The Guardian reported that more than 70 people remained hospitalized, with 24 in critical condition. Al Jazeera and other outlets cited the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre as saying that 30 people were still being treated in hospitals, with 15 in intensive care units and 44 discharged. The Guardian also provided a breakdown of injuries, noting 24 critical, 15 moderate, and 36 minor injuries.

Key Claims

• The death toll from the Bangkok pub fire has risen to 32, as confirmed by the Police Hospital on Wednesday, after two more people died from their injuries.
• Authorities believe the fire was probably sparked by an electrical short circuit in a ceiling air conditioner, a claim reported by multiple outlets including the Jerusalem Post and The Hindu.
• Police are investigating the possibility of negligence and whether emergency exits were obstructed. National police chief Kittiratt Phanphet told reporters that negligence was the primary theory guiding the investigation.
• The pub had undergone an inspection in April, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Most of the victims were found trapped in windowless bathrooms near one of the rear exits, according to police. Kittiratt said that exit was not used, and people may have been blocked from reaching it by a table set up to sell candy, or because it was too dark to find the way out. Access to another exit near the kitchen might also have been narrowed by shelving units and lockers.
• The pub owners have offered apologies and pledged full cooperation with the investigation, as reported by The Guardian. In a statement, the Rong Beer Na Ladprao pub expressed its "deepest apologies for this tragic incident" and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
• Witnesses described an explosion and a horizontal burst of fire and smoke engulfing the single-story venue, as reported by the Jerusalem Post and other outlets.
• Experts suggest that combustible acoustic materials around the stage may have ignited, producing extreme heat and smoke, according to the Jerusalem Post and Al Jazeera.
• The fire is Thailand's deadliest in 17 years, according to The Hindu and Al Jazeera.
• The government has vowed to tighten regulations over entertainment venues, including random inspections to ensure fire exits are unobstructed, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.