Bangkok Pub Fire Linked to Suspected Electrical Short Circuit Kills 27, Blocked Exits Hampered Escape

A massive fire tore through a pub in Bangkok late on Sunday, killing at least 27 people and injuring 63 others, after obstructed emergency exits hindered patrons from escaping the smoke-filled venue, Thai officials said.

Preliminary investigations suggest the blaze may have been caused by an electrical short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner, though the exact cause remains under investigation.

Initial findings indicate that the majority of those killed died from smoke inhalation, according to Suriyachai Raviwan, director of Bangkok's disaster mitigation department.

The fire broke out near the stage inside the bar in Bangkok's popular Chatuchak district before spreading rapidly through the venue. Eyewitnesses account that the blaze cut power and quickly filled the building with thick smoke, leaving those inside trapped in smoke.

Videos shared online showed customers running through the main entrance, some with their clothes on fire.

Firefighters arrived shortly after midnight and brought the blaze under control within about 30 minutes. Most of the victims were found inside a bathroom, where authorities believe they had taken shelter from the flames.

Bangkok Governor Chatchart Sittipunt said highly flammable decorative materials on the bar's ceiling may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Authorities are also investigating reports that people were found unconscious near an emergency exit, raising concerns that the exit may have been obstructed. Officials said both possibilities would be confirmed only after a forensic investigation.

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site early on Monday, said a musician performing when the fire broke out told him "there was blasting and everybody tried to flee from the smoke and flames".

Many people did not escape because they "went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves... in the toilet", the musician said, according to Charnvirakul.

The disaster left nine men and 18 women dead, while more than 60 people were hospitalised, including 22 in critical condition.

Witnesses described desperate rescue efforts. Surin Jaiharn told AFP he helped about five people escape, using clothing to extinguish flames on their bodies.

"I feel depressed. I saw many deaths and I do not know the fate of the people I helped," he said.

The driver who alerted the fire department told Thai media he broke windows to help two people escape.

Authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident. The Chatuchak district office ordered the building housing the bar to remain closed for 30 days while forensic teams examine the site.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly fires in Thailand, where concerns have repeatedly been raised over the enforcement of fire and electrical safety regulations. In 2022, a bar fire south of Bangkok killed 22 people, while a nightclub fire in the capital on New Year's Day in 2009 claimed 66 lives and injured more than 200 others.

(Inputs from BBC and Reuters)