Witnesses recall how a deadly inferno erupted at a 'maze-like' bar in Bangkok

Thai indie set Thotsakan was performing astatine a packed barroom successful Bangkok connected Sunday erstwhile set manager Ice Athipat Wijarn, seated disconnected stage, saw fume emerging from down the keyboardist.

The keyboardist, Kwang, shouted for radical to fly - and wrong seconds a fierce blaze tore done Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, successful the city's vibrant Chatuchak district.

Ice recalls fumbling with the doorway successful the smoke-engulfed country arsenic helium tried to escape. Then thing exploded, throwing him retired of the bar.

The blaze killed astatine slightest 27 radical and near dozens much injured, authorities confirmed connected Monday.

Kwang, on with Thotsakan's pistillate vocalist Breeze and drummer Bew, died aft succumbing to their injuries, according to a Facebook station from different set member, Patchara Songphatkaew.

The whereabouts of Din, a antheral singer, is inactive unclear.

"Maybe a occurrence volition happen," Patchara wrote. "Let's commune things crook retired well."

Thotsakan's pb vocalist Tik Chaichana managed to flight unscathed lone due to the fact that helium went to the washroom moments earlier the occurrence broke out, Thai media reported. Videos online showed him sobbing arsenic helium ran retired of the burning bar.

"I'm safe, convey you everyone for your concern. But my telephone and each my belongings burned... My caput is genuinely not good close now," Tik wrote successful a Facebook post.

Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, similar galore bars and pubs on the aforesaid street, was fashionable with locals. At the clip of penning lone 1 foreigner, a Laotian, has been identified among those who died.

Footage posted online showed panicked customers screaming arsenic they fled – immoderate with their apparel connected occurrence – done the flaming beforehand door. More than 60 radical are present being treated successful hospital, 8 of whom are critically injured, Thai authorities say.

Several residents successful the country described being stunned by the standard of the blaze.

"I saw [firefighters] trying to extinguish the flames astir everywhere," said Titi Liewcha, who lives crossed the thoroughfare from the bar. "I saw ambulances and rescue vehicles everywhere. I didn't cognize what to do. I conscionable sat determination stunned for a while."

Titi and Sirinya, who besides lives nearby, told BBC Thai they initially feared that the occurrence would dispersed towards their homes.

"This is the archetypal clip I've seen specified a large fire," Sirinya said.

Upon arriving astatine the scene, firefighters were capable to bring the flames nether power successful astir fractional an hour. Despite their efforts, 9 men and 18 women were killed.

Sirinya is disquieted that specified a calamity could recur "because determination are truthful galore of these pubs".

She's visited the barroom erstwhile before, and recalls it being "very dark, with a debased ceiling".

"The occurrence flight routes are not clear," she added.

Phatsara Khamloet, who visited the pub successful May, was besides struck by the acheronian and "maze-like" interior.

"It looked similar it wasn't adjacent unfastened due to the fact that of the glass. It was truthful acheronian you couldn't spot thing inside," Phatsara said.

She recounted having to navigate a "winding route" to scope the washroom, and noted that the exits were not good marked.

"The infinitesimal I stepped in, my archetypal feeling was, 'Whoa, if there's a fire, however would we adjacent get out?'"

Earlier connected Monday, Bangkok politician Chatchart Sittipunt said the flammable interior decorations connected the bar's ceiling whitethorn person facilitated the blaze's accelerated spread.

There were besides reports of radical recovered unconscious adjacent the building's exigency exit, suggesting that determination whitethorn person been immoderate obstruction, Chatchart added. He acknowledged, however, that a thorough probe was needed to corroborate specified details.

The tragic blaze has reinforced calls for authorities to fortify occurrence information standards and for due grooming for staff, particularly those successful the nightlife industry.

A operator who works adjacent to the barroom suggests that venue owners should clasp regular occurrence drills to familiarise employees with evacuation procedures.

"Or erstwhile it comes to designing a spot similar this, the doors should beryllium designed with much width successful mind. Make them wider, marque it easier for customers to escape," helium says.

"I consciousness atrocious for the radical who died. I consciousness atrocious for them due to the fact that they astir apt had nary thought what was happening."