A fire that tore through a crowded live music venue in Bangkok late Sunday night has killed at least 27 people and injured 63 others, with Thai officials saying most victims died after being overcome by smoke while trying to reach the pub’s toilets, which had no way out. Nine men and 18 women are among the dead, and 22 of the injured remain in critical condition. Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, visited the site and confirmed the toll, as authorities opened an investigation into how a night of music turned into one of the country’s deadliest fire disasters in years.

The blaze broke out at the Na Ladprao venue, near Soi Lat Phrao 1 Road, just after midnight, when the bar was packed with customers. Officials say the choking pace at which smoke filled the building, reaching the ceiling and spreading through the entire venue within minutes, left many patrons with almost no time to find a working exit.

Trapped near the toilets

According to Thai authorities, a large number of the dead were found near the bathrooms at the rear of the venue, an area that offered no route outside. PM Anutin said panic appeared to have pushed the crowd toward that dead end as smoke filled the room, rather than toward the exits.

Were the exits blocked?

The venue’s Facebook page had listed a capacity of more than 300 people and advertised four fire exits, and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the bar held the required permits. But investigators are now examining whether one or more of those exits were obstructed on the night of the fire, Chadchart noted that several bodies were recovered close to a fire exit, and officials believe something may have been blocking it.

Smoke, not fire, was the killer

Officials repeatedly pointed to smoke, rather than the flames themselves, as the main cause of death. Chadchart said the fire climbed quickly to the ceiling and that smoke was very likely what killed most victims. A firefighter at the scene, Chakrit Khongkom, described the smoke as having filled the entire venue almost instantly, adding that most survivors were found choking rather than burned.

Rescuers battled furniture and heat

Fire crews reached the venue within about five minutes of the alarm being raised, but by then the blaze had already spread through the building, according to fire official Suriyachai. Teams searching the smoke-filled interior found tables and chairs blocking their path throughout the venue, making the rescue slower and more dangerous in the intense heat. Body-camera footage reviewed by Reuters showed firefighters in oxygen masks working through the darkness, carrying victims out on stretchers, several of whom were found near the toilets.

A blackout, then an explosion

The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, but band members performing that night told officials the lights suddenly went out near the stage, followed by what sounded like an explosion, after which smoke filled the room. One musician recalled a scramble for the exit in total darkness, with people on the floor calling for help around him. Anutin said musicians had described smoke coming from a circuit breaker near the stage moments before the power failed.

What witnesses saw

Motorbike-taxi driver Surin Jaiharn told reporters he saw flames shoot out of the entrance and used clothing to beat out fire on people fleeing the building, while another driver helped carry an injured woman to safety. A tourist from Laos, Kan Kutirat, said he noticed smoke near the stage moments before the crowd erupted into screaming and chaos — an experience he said has stayed with him. Journalists at the scene reported seeing people run into the street with their clothes on fire, and multiple body bags laid out as forensic teams worked through the night.

Old questions about nightlife safety, again

The tragedy has reopened concerns about fire safety enforcement at bars and clubs in Thailand, a country that has seen repeated deadly venue fires. It follows the 2022 Mountain B nightclub fire that killed 25 people, and the 2009 Santika Club fire in Bangkok, which remains one of the country’s worst, with 67 deaths. Investigators say they are now focused on whether the exits at Na Ladprao were genuinely accessible on the night of the fire, and whether any safety violations contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

(Inputs from AFP and Reuters)