Police said the fire broke out shortly after midnight in a nightclub in the eastern state of Chonburi, Thailand, and the authorities have opened an investigation into the matter. Police said the victims were all Thais.
One of the participants in the rescue operation told TBS television that the walls of the place were covered with flammable sound insulation, and it quickly caught fire, so it took firefighters about two hours to control the flames. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire broke out in the roof, from which smoke leaked, and several explosions were heard.
A club in Thailand caught fire last night, 13 people trapped inside died and more than 40 suffered burns. *** pic.twitter.com/KfDhmsNEOq
– Mr_A916 (@Mr_A916) August 5, 2022
According to TPBS, one of the three exits to the club has been closed. Prime Minister Pragut Chasan Osa promised to help the relatives of the victims, and called on the owners of entertainment venues in the country to check emergency exits and comply with safety rules.
The most serious fire in recent decades occurred in Thailand in 2008, when flames erupted at a New Year’s Eve party in a Bangkok nightclub. MTI reports that in the tragedy caused by indoor fireworks, 66 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
