Bangkok bar fire kills 33, including four members of house band

A fast-moving fire at a Bangkok music bar has killed at least 33 people, including four members of the band performing when the flames began, The Associated Press reported. The deaths have put attention on safety conditions at Rong Beer Na Ladprao, where authorities are examining the venue’s materials, exits and registration status.

Erawan emergency services said dozens of people were injured in the Sunday night blaze, with 17 hospitalized in critical condition, according to AP. Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, chief of Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Science, told reporters Wednesday that most victims died from smoke inhalation, while some died from burns.

Band members among the dead

The Totsakan band, a regular Sunday act at the bar, lost four of its six core members, AP reported. The group played roots music with traditional rhythms and modern instruments, a style AP said is especially popular in rural areas.

Among those killed were keyboardist Preutthipong Pudmon, known as Kwang; lead female singer Nahatai Sajjalert, known as Breeze; drummer Nattapat Thamnita, known as Biw; and male singer Thitiwat Kaewkanha, known as Din, according to AP. Thitiwat died in a hospital Wednesday after initially being found alive following frantic searches, the band announced, according to AP.

Thai Rath, Thailand’s most widely read newspaper, reported that Thitiwat had burns over 80% of his body, AP said. Band leader and singer Atipat Wijan, known as Ice, told Thai TV Channel 3 that Nahatai, who was also his girlfriend, was given CPR behind the building but could not be revived.

Chanyanuch Pudmon, the sister of keyboardist Preutthipong, spoke as relatives collected his body from the forensic institute, AP reported. She said he would have wanted people to remember “his smile on stage” and the music he loved, rather than the condition in which he died.

Cause under investigation

Authorities are still investigating what ignited the fire and why it caused so many casualties, AP reported. Investigators are looking at whether soundproofing foam in the ceiling was highly flammable, whether exits were open and accessible, and whether the bar was properly registered.

AP reported that band members noticed a spark from a circuit breaker before the fire spread across the ceiling. Witnesses described people trying to escape through limited, narrow exits after the power failed and the bar went dark.

Natthaphong Lakhorn, 26, told AP he was near the stage with four companions when he saw white smoke. He said he first thought it was dry ice before realizing there was a fire, then escaped through a rear door near the bathrooms as a security guard used a flashlight to direct people.

Natthaphong, who said a relative died in the fire, told AP he did not remember hearing a fire alarm. AP reported that bandages covered both of his ears and part of his forehead when he went to police to register his case and seek compensation.

Families seek compensation

Survivors and victims’ relatives went to a police station Wednesday to give statements, collect belongings and ask about compensation, AP reported. Kanticha Singkhon, 25, went to retrieve her mother’s handbag and other possessions after her mother died in the fire.

Kanticha told AP that she is now responsible for her younger brother and wants the bar owners to contact families directly because many victims came from distant hometowns. A lawyer for the bar owners told local media that survivors and families would initially receive 10,000 baht, or about $300, AP reported.

Kanticha said the amount would not cover a funeral and that she had taken out a loan to arrange her mother’s service, according to AP.

This story draws on original reporting from NPR.