The death toll from the fire that engulfed a bar in Bangkok on Sunday night has risen to at least 30, Thai police said, investigating whether failures in fire safety contributed to the tragedy, according to the BBC.
More than 70 people were injured, 24 of them critically. By Tuesday morning, 27 victims had been identified.
The fire broke out in the Rong Beer bar in the Chat Chak district, near the stage. The preliminary investigation points to a short circuit in the air conditioning, after which power was lost in the entire bar. Police say that flammable decorations may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, according to police chief Kittirata Phanpheta, who stated that the incident "indicates a lack of caution and care for the safety of guests".
Many victims were found in the toilets at the back of the premises, where, experts believe, they had fled in search of an exit. Survivors described locked doors and emergency exits without any signage.
Busakorn Saensuk, a fire safety expert from the Institute of Engineering, who inspected the site, found that the doors by the toilets were locked, and the two main entrance doors were partially blocked by furniture. The stage was decorated with flammable plastic flowers, and the ceiling was lined with combustible foam; witnesses said the flames engulfed the stage in a matter of seconds.
Among the dead were two members of the Thai indie band Thotsakan, which was performing at the time the fire broke out.
