Bangkok bar fire: ‘We heard an explosion and then the flames spread’: Survivor tells of Bangkok bar fire that killed 27 people

“I have never experienced anything like this. Those images are still etched in my mind.” For Laotian tourist Kan Kutirat, the horror unfolded minutes later as flames and smoke engulfed a packed Bangkok bar. He managed to get one woman to safety and later wrote on Facebook: “I could only save one person. I did my best. I’m sorry.”A devastating fire broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, a popular live music venue in the Chatuchak district. The fire spread at an alarming rate, killing 27 people and injuring more than 60 people. Officials said many of the victims were trapped behind the venue after emergency exits were blocked.Witnesses said they frantically tried to escape as smoke filled the room. Some people died after being trapped near bathrooms while trying to escape the choking smoke. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, but the fire spread quickly and customers had little time to escape.The fire broke out shortly before midnight. Authorities said the fire spread quickly throughout the venue, leaving patrons with little time to escape. Many victims died after becoming trapped near the bar’s bathrooms while trying to escape the choking smoke.An initial assessment by the Bangkok Disaster Management Authority suggests that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner circuit. However, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said live musicians described “smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage, followed by a power outage and an explosion”.Officials said the fire started near the front desk area and quickly spread throughout the venue, according to survivors. Many fled toward the rear, where the kitchen and bathroom were.“Most of the victims ran to the back and ran to the toilet where there was no exit. This was probably due to panic caused by the fire and smoke,” Anutin told reporters.Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said beer crates and tables blocked some fire exits, hindering evacuation efforts, Reuters reported. Firefighters later found several victims near the pub’s toilets.Firefighter Chakrit Khongkom, one of the first responders on the scene, said smoke, not flames, proved to be the most lethal threat.“There was smoke everywhere,” he said. “Most of the survivors were suffocated by the smoke.”Body camera footage showed firefighters wearing oxygen masks walking through the smoke-filled building while rescue workers carried stretchers inside. Several victims were found lying on the floor near the toilets, while the fire-damaged main room still had a bar and stools.Video showed thick black smoke pouring from the bar around midnight, intense flames bursting out of the entrance and screaming patrons running into the street.Surin Jaiharn, a motorcycle taxi driver who rushed to help people escape, said he saw a fire at the entrance and discovered the severely burned victim.“I feel frustrated. I saw many people die and I didn’t know the fate of the people I helped,” Surin told AFP. He said he used his clothes to extinguish the flames on the victims while another driver carried an injured woman away from the burning building.Inside the venue, survivors recalled the first signs they noticed something was wrong before the fire spread. “My friends who were singing on stage said they first noticed the smell of something burning and then soon after they saw the ceiling was on fire,” Sukanya Wongwongwai, who was waiting outside the bar to search for her missing friend, told Reuters.She added: “A number of people were injured by debris in the ceiling, which appears to be made of foam material that absorbs sound.”He said he was drinking alone when he noticed smoke rising near the stage. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” he said. “These images are still etched in my mind,” said Kan Kutirat.Video showed customers fleeing into the street, with several people running with their clothes on fire.The live music venue has a stage, two bars and a kitchen, can accommodate more than 300 people, and has four fire exits, according to its Facebook page. Investigators are checking whether all exits were accessible at the time of the fire and whether blocked escape routes contributed to the high death toll.