At least 27 people were killed and 63 others were injured in a massive fire that broke out at a popular live music venue in the Thai capital late Sunday night. Authorities said many of the victims died after becoming trapped near the pub’s bathroom while trying to escape the dense smoke. Authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the fire, one of the deadliest in Bangkok in recent years.
1. Toll
The accident happened at Na Ladprao restaurant near Soi Lat Phrao 1 Road at 12.02am, when the venue was packed with people. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the scene, confirmed that 27 bodies had been recovered. Bangkok officials said another 63 people were hospitalized, 22 of them in critical condition. The dead include nine men and 18 women.
2. Deadly rush towards the bathroom
According to Thai authorities, the victims died while attempting to escape from the pub’s bathroom during the fire. “Most of the victims ran backwards, towards the toilets where there were no exits. This may have been due to panic because there was fire and smoke,” Anutin said, according to AFP.
3. Escape routes were questioned
According to Reuters, survivors told authorities that the venue filled with smoke within minutes, forcing many people to run to the back of the pub, where they struggled to find an escape route.Governor Chadchart Sitipunt said the venue had obtained the necessary permits and had fire exits, but investigators were looking into whether blocked exits contributed to the high death toll. He said several victims were found near a fire exit and authorities believe “there may have been an obstruction blocking it”.
4. Rescuers faced obstacles
Suriyachai said emergency teams reached the scene within five minutes of receiving information about the incident, but by then the fire had spread throughout the building.“The fire had already spread throughout the area, making it very difficult for us to go inside,” he told AFP. He said rescue workers faced obstacles inside the venue. “When we went inside to explore, we found that tables and seating areas were everywhere blocking the way and the heat was very intense.
5. Smoke proved to be the most deadly
Officials said smoke rather than flames were responsible for most of the deaths. “The fire spread very quickly, reaching the roof. “The main cause of death was probably smoke,” Governor Chadchart told AFP reporters. Firefighters said smoke spread across the venue within minutes.“The fire was not that severe, but the smoke had engulfed 100% of the venue. Smoke was everywhere”, said firefighter Chakrit Khongkom, adding, “Most of the survivors were suffocating from the smoke.”
6. Firefighters searched in the dark
Reuters reported that body-camera footage showed firefighters wearing oxygen masks wading through the smoke-filled remains of the pub, searching for survivors. Many victims were found lying near toilets as rescue workers carried stretchers into the building.
7. Blackout before the explosion
Suriachai said investigators were still determining the cause of the fire. “We have to wait for the police investigation,” he told Reuters. A member of the band claimed that after the lights were switched off for a while, smoke suddenly started coming out. “After the explosion I did not see anyone trying to escape, most of them were on the floor asking for help…I Ran about five meters from the stage towards the door. It was dark and smoke, no oxygen”, he was quoted as saying.PM Anutin said the musicians described “smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage, followed by a power outage and an explosion”.
8. Witnesses remember the horror
Surin Jayaharan, a motorbike taxi driver who helped the victims escape, told AFP he saw flames coming from the entrance and used clothing to extinguish the flames on the victims, while another driver took away an injured woman.Laotian tourist Kan Koutirat said he first saw smoke near the stage before panic broke out. “I heard loud screams from many people inside… there was chaos… the images are still stuck in my mind,” he said.
9. Questions on fire safety
Scenes showed victims running down the street, with many seen running away while their clothes were on fire. An AFP journalist also saw several body bags outside the venue while forensic teams were collecting evidence.According to the venue’s Facebook page, the live music bar had a capacity of more than 300 people and listed four fire exits. The incident has also renewed scrutiny of Thailand’s long-standing concerns over health and safety standards in bars and nightclubs.
10. Investigation underway
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials are investigating whether all fire exits were accessible and whether any safety violations led to the deaths. The tragedy has also revived memories of the 2022 Mountain B nightclub fire, which killed 25 people, and the 2009 Centika club fire in Bangkok, which took 67 lives.