Bangkok pub fire toll rises to 32 with 15 in intensive care

Officials confirm two more deaths as 30 people remain in hospital, including 15 in intensive care units.

The death toll in a fire at a popular live music pub in Bangkok has risen to 32 after two more people died from their injuries, as Thai police continue to investigate possible negligence as a factor in the blaze.

The Erawan Emergency Medical Centre said on Wednesday that 30 people remained in hospitals in the city, with 15 of those being treated in intensive care units. It said 44 people had been discharged.

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The fire, Thailand’s deadliest in 17 years, broke out at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao late on Sunday night. It took firefighters 30 minutes to put out the blaze.

Most of the victims died from smoke inhalation, while a few died from burn injuries, Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, chief of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, told journalists on Wednesday.

Local police said that most of the people who were found dead were trapped in windowless bathrooms, where they may have tried to escape the blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, and police are investigating the possibility of negligence at the venue, including whether emergency exits were obstructed.

Authorities say an electrical short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner may have sparked the fire. Some experts say that combustible acoustic materials around the stage may have ignited, producing extreme heat and smoke.

Some survivors and family members of victims arrived at the Phahonyothin Police Station on Wednesday to give statements, gather belongings and seek compensation.

Natthaphong Lakhorn, 26, told the Associated Press news agency that he was close to the stage when the fire started.

“When the fire broke, I just ran, and then all power went out,” said Natthaphong, who said that a relative died in the fire. “It was so hectic.”

He said he plans to seek compensation for the injuries to his ears and head.

Kanticha Singkhon, 25, lost her mother in the fire. She said that the bar owners should be “reaching out to the families” and helping them retrieve their loved ones’ belongings.

A lawyer representing the bar owners told local media that survivors and family members would initially receive 10,000 baht (around $300).