BANGKOK: Three people died and seven others were injured in a fire that broke out at a six-storey hotel in the Khao San area of Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district at around 9.40pm on Sunday (Dec 29).
According to Bangkok officials, the fire started on the fifth floor of the hotel, where 39 hotel staff and tourists were staying. Three bucket trucks were deployed to evacuate people stranded on the roof and inside the building.
Firefighters were quickly on the scene and brought the fire under control within an hour.
Of the total 75 guests, one woman was found dead inside a room on the fifth floor. Another two died later at the hospital. The seven injured people were two Thai men, a Japanese man, a foreign woman, a German man, a German woman and a Chinese man.
Bartender Pattarapol Kopornsrisanga said he noticed smoke while working on the sixth floor and told guests to evacuate immediately.
He added that many of the residents escaped either by heading down to street level or up to the roof, but admitted that he was in a state of panic.
Nongnuch Srilom, a merchant who witnessed the incident, said she heard a sound before she saw the smoke. Tourists ran from the hotel to seek assistance, and some collapsed to the ground.
She expressed concern that the fire had broken out in a predominantly tourist area.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt noted that the flames did not spread widely as firefighters were quick on the scene. The hotel has been temporarily closed pending safety checks, he said.
“We should boost confidence among tourists over their safety, especially as the countdown festival is near,” he stressed, adding that he believes this incident will not affect Thailand’s tourism image.
Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the police are investigating the cause of the fire and action would be taken against anyone found to be involved. - The Nation/ANN
