Thailand: At least 13 people die in nightclub fire

Enlarge image

Fire brigade operation at the "Mountain B" club: corpses badly charred

Photo: HANDOUT/AFP

At least 13 people have died in a devastating fire at a nightclub on Thailand's east coast.

Around 40 were injured in the fire that broke out in Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand that night, some seriously, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported, citing the rescue team from the local Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation.

According to previous knowledge, all victims – nine men and four women – were Thais, the police said.

Videos on social media show guests trying to escape the flames through a door at Mountain B club.

People flee and scream as the building burns in the background.

The interior of the restaurant around 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok was completely destroyed, as shown by photos taken after the extinguishing work.

According to the rescue workers, most of the fatalities were found near the entrance or in the toilets.

Combustible foam for soundproofing?

"The fire started in the top right corner of the stage," a witness told PPTV.

"The singer must have seen it too, so he shouted 'fire' and threw the microphone away." She said she saw several security guards with their clothing on fire.

A waitress told Thai TV reporters that there was smoke near the stage.

According to the Khaosod newspaper, many guests were trapped in the building when the fire broke out because the back exit was locked.

In addition, the inside of the pub is said to have been lined with easily combustible foam panels for soundproofing.

It took firefighters more than three hours to bring the fire under control.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha assured the victims' families that they will receive help from the authorities and urged entertainment venues across the country to ensure they have adequate emergency exits and security measures in place.

In Thailand, which is popular with tourists, there has always been criticism of the lax security measures in bars and nightclubs.

On New Year's Eve 2008/09, a fire at the Santika Club in Bangkok killed 67 people.

The fire broke out when fireworks were set off during a concert.

apr/dpa/AFP/Reuters