Updated July 13, 2026 — 8:48 a.m.,first published 5:27 a.m. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. TOTOTO Bangkok: An explosive fire at a popular pub in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, has killed 27 people in one of the deadliest incidents of its kind
Updated ,first published
Bangkok: An explosive fire at a popular pub in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, has killed 27 people in one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in the tourist hub in recent years.
Images shared online by first responders show a large fire and plumes of smoke rising from the front door of the Na Ladprao pub, also known as Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, according to Thai media, in the Chatuchak district in the northern part of the capital.
According to survivor accounts, he said the pub quickly filled with smoke after a fire broke out, forcing many to run to the back of the venue, near the toilets, but there were no fire escapes.
“We have recovered 27 bodies, others are being sent to hospital,” said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site of the fire that broke out at 11:57 p.m. Sunday (Bangkok time).
Another 63 people injured in the incident have been hospitalized, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
“The number of deaths has stabilized at 27,” he told Reuters.
Of those injured and hospitalized, 22 are in critical condition, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Australian officials were making urgent inquiries with local authorities to determine if any Australians were affected. “We are willing to provide consular assistance,” they said.
A registration point was set up to collect information from relatives who came to the scene in search of their loved ones.
By the time rescuers arrived at the crash site, the fire, which witnesses said started at the front of the scene, had already swept through the area, according to Suriyachai.
“We have to wait for the police to investigate,” he said.
Footage from an emergency worker’s body camera, seen by Reuters, shows firefighters wearing oxygen masks moving through the dark remains of the pub with torches as they searched for survivors.
Several victims can be seen lying face down on the floor near the pub’s toilets as rescuers carry stretchers.
The video also shows what appears to be the venue’s main room damaged by the fire, with bar tables and stools still visible.
Anutin, the prime minister, said a musician performing at the pub told him he saw smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, then an explosion was heard and thick smoke quickly filled the venue.
Many of the victims were found in the bathrooms at the back of the pub, Anutin said.
Chadchart said the pub had obtained proper permits and had fire escapes, but the fire spread quickly and smoke filled the room, which could make it difficult for customers to escape.
In the early hours of the morning, emergency personnel remained at the pub as bodies were prepared for transport and forensic teams collected evidence to help identify the victims.
The numbered bodies lay in two rows waiting to be removed, surrounded by many rescuers. Firefighters were near the entrance to the pub, whose facade was burned and blackened by the fire.
Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she was performing nearby when she heard news of the fire and rushed to the scene because several of her bandmates were performing at the pub. He said one of them died, three were hospitalized and one has not been located.
“From what I heard from the people inside, when the fire started everything went dark. There was no power and there was smoke everywhere, so they couldn’t locate other people,” he said.
A band member at the scene told local media that smoke suddenly filled the room after the lights briefly went out, followed by a massive explosion and fire.
“After the explosion I didn’t see anyone trying to flee, most of them were on the ground asking for help,” he told reporters, his head still bandaged, without giving his name.
“I ran towards the stage door, about five meters. It was dark and there was smoke, there was no oxygen.”
Thailand has experienced similar tragedies in the past. In 2022, 14 people died in a fire at a music pub in the east of the country.
And more than a decade earlier, 66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a New Year’s celebration on January 1, 2009 at the Santika nightclub in Thailand’s capital. The fire was apparently caused by a fireworks display inside.
Reuters, AP
Australians requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Center on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 if calling from overseas.
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Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect by email.From our partners
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