The death toll from the devastating fire at the ‘Rong Beer Na Ladprao’ pub has risen to 33, while investigators have revealed that security camera footage captured the venue being engulfed in flames within just one minute of smoke first appearing.
The latest fatality was the lead singer of the "Thotsakan" band, who passed away at 5.56pm in Rajavithi Hospital.
The tragedy has also left 16 people in critical condition and 12 others with moderate injuries. Another 43 people sustained minor injuries and have since been discharged from hospitals.
Regarding the progress of the investigation, forensic officers have analysed footage from 16 CCTV cameras inside the pub.
The video shows smoke starting to billow from the ceiling above the stage, near the right-side door, at 11.49pm. Sparks and flames erupted about 15 seconds later, rapidly spreading and completely engulfing the area by 11.50pm.
In addition to the footage, investigators received crucial information from electrical experts indicating that the venue had been plagued by power issues. Just two months after opening, the pub's owner had applied to upgrade the venue’s electrical capacity from 30/100 amps to 30/200 amps, because the existing system was insufficient.
The upgrade had not been installed at the time of the fire, because the documents were still being processed.
Police are currently coordinating with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to obtain these documents to assist forensic teams in determining the exact cause of the fire.
To date, investigators have questioned 96 witnesses, including the venue’s owner, 26 staff members, 56 survivors, relatives of the deceased, 10 officials who inspected the scene, and three civil engineering and environmental experts.
Police also addressed the venue's legal status, noting that, while the establishment was only licensed as a restaurant, reports indicated it regularly operated until 2.00am.
Police have summoned building inspectors and the officials responsible for issuing the venue’s operating license for questioning, while awaiting further documentation from the Chatuchak District Office.
