BANGKOK: A fire broke out at the JA Plus hotel in Thailand’s Pattaya at around 9pm (10pm Malaysia time) on May 21, with many people reportedly trapped inside the building and local media reporting scenes of panic.
Firefighters rushed to the scene as flames spread through the hotel, while rescue teams worked to bring those stranded inside to safety.
It took an hour or so for the blaze to be extinguished, according to reports.
A large number of tourists were evacuated, with several suffering from smoke inhalation.
The Pattaya Mail described the evacuation as “chaotic”, with four people injured including a man who was severely burned after running through the flames to escape.
Thick smoke quickly spread through the building as terrified guests, many of them foreign tourists, rushed for the exits.
All 178 rooms at the hotel were reportedly occupied at the time, mostly by foreign tourists.
Witnesses described scenes of confusion and fear as guests fled through smoke-filled corridors while rescue teams searched floor by floor for anyone trapped inside, the Pattaya Mail said.
Authorities said the fire was concentrated on the rooftop level and rapidly spread before staff could contain it with fire extinguishers.
The situation became especially tense around the upper floors, said the Mail, including the seventh floor, where several guests were found to be suffering from smoke inhalation.
Four injuries were initially confirmed. Two Thai women and an Indonesian boy were treated for smoke inhalation, said the Mail, while a Thai man sustained burns over approximately 20 per cent of his body after reportedly running through flames in an attempt to escape.
All four were treated at the scene and transported to nearby hospitals, said the Pattaya News.
The fire originated at a rooftop restaurant on the building’s top floor, which was not in use by guests at the time.
Authorities are now investigating the cause of the fire, while structural safety inspections and further damage assessments are expected to continue through the night, the Mail said. - The Nation/ANN
