Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

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Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Gaybutton »

Sattahip is about 30km south of Pattaya.

You never know how well protected pubs and bars might be. It is always a good idea to know where the exits are and to choose a seat close by - just in case.
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You have to click on the link to watch this video. Warning, it is quite horrible to see: https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/t ... 62-4862524
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13 dead in massive Sattahip pub fire late last night

By Nopniwat Krailerg

August 5, 2022

An explosion causing a massive fire at the Mountain B pub in Sattahip town late last night killed 13 people and injured 41.

Fire engines rushed to the well-known pub located at Soi 99, Sukhumvit Road at 1.25 a.m. to see the pub engulfed in flames.

An eye witness said that he heard an explosion near the DJ booth which burst into flames, causing a panic as customers stampeded towards the exit trying to get out.

The interior walls and decorations of the air-conditioned pub were plastered with flammable materials which burst into fireballs causing the whole building to become an inferno.

n their panic driven rush to get out of the fire-raged building, people were jammed at the only exit and many of them got stuck in the narrow doorway, suffocated and burnt to death. Firefighters also found dead bodies crouched in the toilets.

Firefighters fought the flames for over two hours before bringing the fire under control.

Initial reports stated that 13 people including 4 women and 9 men died in the fire, while 41 were injured and were rushed to the nearby Queen Sirikit Hospital.

The exact cause of the fire has not been determined at the time of this report.

Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/13-dea ... ght-405676
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Fire at Chon Buri pub kills 13, more than 40 injured

5 August, 2022

At least 13 people were killed and more than 40 others injured when a fire break out at a pub in Sattahip district after midnight.

The inferno started about 1am as people were packing Mountain B pub, according to Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation.

Footage showed people running for safety and screaming following the blaze, and some were seen running with their bodies engulfed in flames.

INN News reported that nine men and four women died in the fire. Rescuers from the foundation reported that 41 people were injured.

Officers at Phlu Ta Luang police station arrived at the site after receiving reports of the fire.

Pol Col Wuttipong Somjai, Phlu Ta Luang police chief, said all victims up to now were Thai nationals.

Mountain B covers more than three rai of land and is located on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip district.

Story, photos, and video: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... 40-injured
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13 killed, 41 injured as flames envelop entertainment venue in Sattahip

by The Nation

August 5, 2022

A blaze at an entertainment venue in Chonburi’s Sattahip district killed 13 people and injured 41 others.

The fire at Mountain B Pub in Plutaluang subdistrict was reported at around 1am on Friday and more than 20 fire trucks showed up to put out flames rising from the one-storey building. Hundreds of patrons and staff were seen running out, some with their clothes on fire.

Firefighters managed to put the blaze out after two hours and found 13 charred bodies inside. Of the bodies nine were identified as men and four women. The 41 injured, eight in critical condition, were taken to Queen Sirikit Naval Hospitals.

The site is blocked to unauthorised personnel as officials fear the building may collapse. Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

Witnesses reportedly said they heard two loud explosions before they spotting flames covering the pub’s roof before quickly spreading.

A video clip shared on social media shows people rushing out through the front door of the building, sparking questions if the pub had a proper fire exit.

Mountain B Pub was opened just a month ago and quickly became popular among young people in Sattahip.

Story and photos: https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018533
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by travelerjim1 »

GB
I deleted my post...
It's been in the news/social media... BUT will let others find it
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Gaybutton »

travelerjim1 wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:05 pm The back door was LOCKED from the outside. No other EXITS... Entry only.
If that happened I wouldn't be at all surprised, but the only news article saying that is the Pattaya Mail article below. Since no other news articles are saying that, I wonder if they got it right.

For many years there have been news stories about these kinds of fires and some of the doors that could have been used for escape were locked. Why do these places do that? Do they risk people's lives because they are worried that maybe someone will try to sneak out without paying? I hope that is not what happened in this case. It's awfully difficult watching videos of people being burned alive.

Here are the latest updates:
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17 dead, 40 hurt – including 3 minors – in Sattahip pub fire

By Pattaya Mail

August 5, 2022

A late-night fight at a Sattahip nightclub killed 17 people and injured about 40, several of them underage teenagers.

The inferno at the Mountain B Pub on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip District began near the ceiling, which was covered in highly flammable soundproofing foam. A rear-exit was locked, leaving only one way out the firetrap. Videos showed people fleeing the building, their bodies on fire.

Nine men and four women died in the fire, including three minors not legally allowed to be in the bar. The victims were identified only by their first names as Kornwit, 17; Promporn, 18; Watinee, 19; Warakul, 32; Somrat, 31;, Surakan, 35; Natthida, 28; Jetsadaporn, 20; Wiriya, 31, Rangsiman, 30; Chatchai, 30, Nuttakorn, 49, and Sawitta, 39.

Many of those injured suffered severe burns.

Witnesses said they heard two explosions near the DJ booth as the three-rai entertainment complex with only one entrance and saw sparks that ignited the soundproofing foam. The flames spread quickly from there.

Twenty fire engines from around the area responded to the blaze in the Plutaluang Subdistrict. Firefighters spent two hours battling the flames. Once the fire was out, they found 13 charred bodies inside, some dead from the fire, some from smoke inhalation or being trampled.

Mountain B opened only a month ago and was popular with youths in the East with management obviously paying little heed to checking ID cards to ensure everyone was over age 20.

The fire there shows how little has changed in Thailand’s nightclubs since the Santika nightclub fire in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve 2008. Sixty-six people died and more than 200 others were injured in that blaze that was supposed to prompt improved fire safety and inspection in the country’s bars, pubs and nightclubs.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/17-dea ... ire-405713
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Fire at Chon Buri pub kills 13, injures 40

by Online reporters and Chaiyot Pupattanapong

August 5, 2022

At least 13 people were killed and 40 others were reported injured by a fire at a crowded pub in Sattahip district early Friday morning.

The inferno started about 1am as customers packed the Mountain B pub, according to Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation.

Footage showed people running for safety and screaming as flames and smoke billowed from the building. Some were seen running with their bodies engulfed in flames.

Nine men and four women died in the fire. Four charred bodies were found in front of the one-storey pub building, three in a men's restroom, one at a DJ booth and five at a cashier's booth.

Pol Col Wuttipong Somjai, Phlu Ta Luang police chief, said all victims were believed to be Thai nationals.

Mountain B covers more than three rai of land and is located on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip.

Eyewitnesses said they heard two explosions near the DJ's booth and saw sparks that ignited soundproofing foam, and the fire spread quickly.

Pub superviser Thanyapat Sornsuwanhiran, 26, said she saw the flames on the roof of the pub and she and security guards tried to guide customers out through the front door.

Chon Buri police commander, Pol Maj Gen Atthasit Kitjahan, said about 40 people were injured in the blaze. Officials said eight were severely injured with burns all over their bodies.

The premises opened about a month ago and is popular with young local people. The fire erupted when customers were enjoying music, leading to a stampede for safety.

The blaze is reminiscent of the Santika pub fire in Bangkok during the New Year's Eve countdown to Jan 1, 2009. Sixty-six people were killed and more than 200 others injured then.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... injures-40
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Devastating fire at Sattahip nightclub claims 13 lives, 20+ injured - multiple explosions heard

by Webfact

August 5, 2022

Thai Rath reported at 1 am this morning on a devastating fire in a nightclub in Sattahip, Chonburi, central/eastern Thailand that left 13 dead and around 20 severly injured.

A survivor reported seeing fire in a ceiling at Mountain B before multiple explosions were heard. Many died instantly and were consumed in the fire.

Others who managed to get out were left with horrific burns. A short circuit may have been responsible.

Police captain Bunsong Yingyong was the first to respond along with Phlu Ta Luang police chief Pol Col Wuthipong Somjai and the acting district chief.

Twenty fire engines and firefighters and rescue services raced to the Mountain B club, a one story facility with a glass frontage on Sukhumvit -Bang Na - Trad Road. It is on three rai of land, reported Daily News.

Utter chaos greeted rescuers with around twenty people with horrific blisters and burns, screaming in agony who managed to escape the inferno.

13 injured men and 8 women were given first aid at the scene before being rushed to the Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital.

Thai Rath said that tackling the fire was complicated as it was fueled by sound absorbing insulation foam.

It took two hours before the blaze was brought under control. The authorities sealed off the building.

Inside thirteen charred bodies were found - 9 men and four women. Who they were is yet to be determined.

One survivor, a 51 year old man called Jiraphat Thuraphan said that the music was playing and people were dancing happily when a fire started in the ceiling.

Soon after there were many explosions one after another. Many died immediately in the explosions, he claimed, and would have been subsequently burned in the fire.

Others managed to flee in the confusion.

No cause for the fire has yet been established but it is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the ceiling area.

More on this tragic event as the story unfolds.

ASEAN NOW notes that this fire looks to be one of the worst in terms of casualties in Thailand in recent years.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1268007-deva ... ons-heard/
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Friends and family are mourning the loss of a deceased male singer in the Mountain B fire on August 5th in Sattahip district, one unfortunate victim among 13 others.

The following message had been posted on social media earlier this morning, August 5th:

“I am looking for my friend named “Imm.” He is a singer in the Mountain B pub that just burnt down. We cannot contact him. Nobody sees him,” The message was posted on Facebook reportedly by a friend of the victim in the Mountain B fire, which took place at 1 AM on August 5th, in the Sattahip district."

Later, Imm, or Mr. Chatchai Chuenkha, who was reportedly hired to sing at the pub, was officially pronounced dead by the authorities due to being burnt to death. Imm was one of the 13 deceased victims including 4 women and 9 men who were found scattered around the pub’s interior. 4 victims, according to reports, were horribly piled on top of each other before a small front gate, 3 inside a male restroom, 1 behind a DJ booth, 2 behind a cashier counter, and 3 in front of a cashier counter.

As of press time, friends and family are currently mourning Imm’s loss and demand that all stakeholders must take responsibility.

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/05/u ... in-b-fire/
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Draw your own conclusions:
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Sattahip District Chief transferred after fire at pub killed 14

By Goongnang Suksawat

5 August, 2022

The Department Chief of Provincial Administration was ordered immediately transferred after a fire at a famous pub in Sattahip killed 14 today (August 5th).

The Director-General Mr. Tanakom Jongjira of the Department of Provincial Administration has issued an urgent order to immediately transfer the Sattahip District Chief Acting Major Chartchai Sripoeon to the Institute of Administration Development. The order is in effect from today (August 5th) until further change.

TPN media noted the order has been issued after the massive flames seen in a video engulfed a well-known pub in Chonburi’s Sattahip district called “Mountain B” where over 100 pubgoers, staff, and singers were reportedly sitting inside before the flames suddenly erupted.

However the order has not mentioned about any reason related to the fire but state that the transfer is for “government benefits”.

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/05/s ... killed-14/
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by travelerjim1 »

The back door WAS LOCKED 🔒
ONLY EXIT OPEN WAS FRONT DOOR

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thirteen-k ... chon-buri/

He added that the back door of the pub was kept locked all the time and was only used to allow musicians to get in, after which it was immediately locked again.
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Gaybutton »

travelerjim1 wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:12 pm He added that the back door of the pub was kept locked all the time and was only used to allow musicians to get in, after which it was immediately locked again.
If that is true, then whoever made such a decision deserves the most severe penalties. If that door had not been locked, I would be very interested to know how many people might have been saved. I hope upcoming news articles will tell us whether there is evidence that people tried to escape through that door only to find it locked.

Of course, less than one day after this incident it is too soon for much of the forthcoming information. I'm expecting much more information to come out over the next days and weeks. When we get more information, it will be posted - including just what sparked this fire in the first place.

Remember the Walking Street Nashaa nightclub fire a year or so ago? The whole place burned down. Fortunately it happened during the Covid restrictions and nobody was there when it happened. But obviously there are too many places that are fire hazards and are ticking time bombs.

In this instance the news is saying the ceiling soundproofing foam was highly flammable. Who knew that? Did the owners know it and authorized its use anyway? Why would any company manufacture it if it is so flammable? Why would a construction company choose to use it? Was the building inspected by competent building inspectors and declared safe? And why was soundproofing necessary in the first place?

A lot of questions need to be answered. I hope the authorities won't wait until this is largely forgotten and then just sweep it under the rug. How many more venues are similar fire hazards?

Can you imagine what the families of the victims, especially the parents of the 17 year olds, are going through? Can you imagine what the surviving burn victims are going through? I think it is even worse because apparently this was preventable.
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by bkkguy »

Nopniwat Krailerg wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:08 am The interior walls and decorations of the air-conditioned pub were plastered with flammable materials which burst into fireballs causing the whole building to become an inferno.

In their panic driven rush to get out of the fire-raged building, people were jammed at the only exit and many of them got stuck in the narrow doorway, suffocated and burnt to death.
weren't these two of the classic problems that licensing inspectors and venue owners were supposed to learn to avoid after the Santika nightclub fire in Bangkok in 2009?

where is Santayana when you need him!
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Gaybutton »

bkkguy wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:49 pm where is Santayana when you need him!
In case not everyone knows why you wrote that, it was Santayana who said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

Unfortunately all too often he turned out to be right. I hope it doesn't happen again with these kinds of fires, but I think it will, and probably many times, and I hope people understand what Santayana said if Trump runs in the 2024 presidential election - if he's not in prison by then . . .

Does this latest tidbit of information come as any surprise? And in the coming days there is sure to be much more. My guess is the owners have already hired lawyers. And if there were no payoffs and bribes to be able to illegally alter and operate this place, I will be deeply shocked.
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Inferno pub illegally built, operated

Death toll in Sattahip fire confirmed at 14, with 38 others injured

by Mongkol Bangprapa and Chaiyot Pupattanapong

August 5, 2022

The pub that burned down early Friday morning, killing 14 people and injuring 38 others, was illegally built and operated.

Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said the Mountain B pub, in Sattahip district of Chonburi, did not have a pub licence and was built in an area where entertainment venues were prohibited.

“Officials are checking details of the building, including its design, construction materials used, control systems and fire exits. I told them to find the cause of the fire and the people responsible for it,” Gen Anupong said in Bangkok.

Pol Maj Gen Atthasit Kitjahan, commander of the Chonburi police, said the premises were licensed to operate as an eatery, and had been illegally altered and used as an enclosed entertainment place.

The Sattahip district chief has been transferred pending further investigations into how the pub came to be altered.

He said the building was almost completely destroyed — its interior structure and decor, soundproofing, stage and ceiling tiles. Police attempted to inspect in late on Friday morning, but had to withdraw when the fire briefly flared up again.

Investigators had questioned the staff and owner of the pub, eyewitnesses and the electrician who was earlier hired to repair the building’s power system, he said.

The fire at the site on Sukhumvit Road in tambon Phlu Ta Luang of Chon Buri’s Sattahip district erupted about 1am on Friday, when more than 100 customers were still inside.

Witnesses said the blaze was first noticed on the roof, and spread quickly through the soundproofing foam.

Fourteen people were confirmed killed in the blaze and 38 others injured, according to the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office in Chonburi, down from early reports of 40-41 injured.

Among those killed was singer Chatchai Chuenkha, 30. His mother Premjai sae Ung said he normally sang at open-air venues.

She quoted his friend as saying that her son was singing when there was an explosion behind the stage. He could not escape the flames.

“My son was a breadwinner. Someone must be held responsible for this,” she said.

Of the 38 people confirmed as injured, 20 were seriously hurt as they were dependent on ventilators and had severe burns, Chonburi public health chief Apirat Katanyutanon said on Friday afternoon.

Twelve seriously injured people were transferred to hospitals in Bangkok such as Ramathibodi, Siriraj, King Chulalongkorn Memorial and Lerdsin hospitals, said Dr Apirat, who inspected the site on Friday.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... t-operated

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The Sattahip district chief has been transferred pending further investigations into how the pub came to be altered.

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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

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Surviving victims of Mountain B fire say pub had one exit while compensation for victims promised

By Goongnang Suksawat

5 August, 2022

Several surviving victims of the Mountain B club fire said that the sound-absorbing foam panels in the ceiling caught fire, melted, and fell on the pubgoers below, killing 14 people who could not escape through a sole exit at the front of the pub.

A female surviving victim of the Mountain B fire that as of now killed 14 people, including 13 inside the pub and 1 at a hospital, has come out to voice her gruesome experience while hanging out inside the pub before all hell broke loose.

“I was drinking with my friend inside Mountain B,” the victim told a famous TV host. “It was around midnight; the pub was fairly dark, but not so crowded. I sat with my back facing a musical stage, drinking and chatting, and suddenly I heard a deafening blast that turned every head to the stage where the band also came to a halt.”

Sustaining no injuries, the surviving victim continued, “This was when it happened. A chunk of ceiling covered in flame fell onto the stage and was followed by several other pieces, all were in flame like fire rain. My friend and I were able to escape through the front gate because we sat very close to it, but many others near the stage could not make it.”

The TV host then asked the DJ who also survived the incident. “I was very fortunate because I went to the restroom outside the pub and was about to go back inside when I saw my boss running and shouting for me to run,” the DJ said and grimly continued, “I followed him and ran, but then he just came back inside the blazing pub to help others who could not make it.”

The singer at this pub who usually played on Monday said on Facebook, “What I always hoped to never happen just happened today. I always feared playing at this pub because it had a sole, tiny exit at the far front. The door behind the stage was usually for the band and was locked immediately after everyone was in. Above everyone’s head were also lots of foam panels used to absorb sound, which were combustible. Every Monday, I always envisioned myself playing at the Santika pub, which was burnt down and killed lots of people a long time ago. I pray that everyone will be safe and sound.”

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Chonburi has set up a command center at the pub to assist the victims in terms of financial compensation. Initially, all injured people will reportedly be given 4,000 baht or 13,300 if becoming disabled due to injuries. The family of each casualty will be provided 29,700 baht or double if the deceased is a breadwinner.

TPN noted that Anuphong Paochinda, Interior Minister of Thailand, was reportedly appalled by the incident, saying that this venue was illegally built, did not possess a proper license, and was forcefully shut down multiple times for violating the legal opening hours.

https://tpnnational.com/2022/08/05/surv ... -promised/
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Gaybutton »

The sad part is it took a fire like this to inspire these inspections, which in my opinion should have been done a long time ago and re-inspected on a regular basis - by people with the qualifications and competency to conduct such inspections.

And there are many more venues besides just these four that need to be inspected. Urging these venues to have fire exits is also, in my opinion, not enough. How about making it clear those exits better not ever be locked and not ever obstructed.
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Pattaya police inspect nightlife venues following Mountain B fire, vow crackdown on safety and closing times

By Tanakorn Panyadee

6 August, 2022

Pattaya police inspected large, crowded nightlife venues on Walking Street and Pattaya Third Road last night, August 5th, following the Mountain B fire that killed 14 people and injured dozens.

The inspection took place at 10 PM yesterday and was led by Ms. Paradee Phuaksopha, senior permanent secretary of Banglamung, who marched down Walking Street and Pattaya Third Road accompanied by a troop of police officers.

The four targeted pubs yesterday were reportedly the Skyfall Agogo, 808 Pub, JP Republic on Walking Street, and the FIN on Third Road, as these venues were large and usually crowded, according to the authorities.

“We urge venue operators to prioritize safety precautions, particularly in the event of a fire. Each venue must have sufficient fire extinguishers, fire exits, CCTV cameras, and illuminated signs pointing to the exit,” said Paradee, senior permanent secretary of Banglamung.

According to her, some errors were found such as broken fire extinguishers, which the operators promised to change immediately. Regarding the license to operate a venue, Paradee said that each venue must have one and that it would be examined thoroughly when it was time for yearly renewal.

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/06/p ... ing-times/
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Re: Major fire in Sattahip pub kills 13, injures 41

Post by Dodger »

Buildings in Thailand that are constructed to meet "Safety Standards", and then inspected by qualified personnel before being issued an operating license, are about as rare as a 3-headed pig.

It's all "Pay-as-You-Go".

Moral of this tragic story: Make sure the building you're in has emergency exits and be sitting close to one of them.

How many Gogo and Karaoke Bars do you know of that are safe?
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