Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that a witness reported seeing smoke coming from a circuit breaker before an explosion rang out
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A fire at a pub in Bangkok killed at least 27 people on July 13
- Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that a witness reported seeing smoke coming from a circuit breaker before an explosion rang out
- The official cause of the blaze is still being investigated
A massive blaze broke out at a pub in Thailand, killing at least 27 people before firefighters put it out overnight.
Fire & Rescue Thailand said in several statements shared on social media that the fire began just a few minutes before midnight of Monday, July 13, at Na Ladprao, a pub in the northern part of Bangkok.
Footage shared by the agency showed the massive fire blazing as plumes shot out of the front door of the brewery. Bystanders can be seen fleeing from the scene as black plumes of smoke billow from the pub.
Credit: Getty
Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people had died and that several injured people had been taken to the hospital, the Associated Press reported.
According to the prime minister, a musician performing at the pub witnessed smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage before the fire. The building’s power went out, an explosion rang out before smoke quickly filled the pub, he added.
Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
Several victims were were found in the pub’s restrooms at the back of the pub, the prime minister said, adding that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire & Rescue Thailand said that firefighters got the blaze under control by around 12:30 a.m. local time on Monday.
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The Na Ladprao pub is in the Thai capital’s Chatuchak District, fire officials said. The bar is a famous entertainment venue and restaurant in the area, the BBC reported, citing local media.
Pictures shared on social media after the fire was extinguished showed chairs and tables inside the pub completely charred and blackened, with parts of the ceiling peeling off.
The AP reported that similar fires have occurred in Thailand in the past.
In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a pub in the eastern region of the country. Previously, 66 people were killed and more than 200 were injured after a fire broke out during a New Year’s Eve celebration in 2009 at the Santika nightclub in Bangkok.
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