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Police probe Thai club fire cause Thai police seek club blaze clues
(about 2 hours later)
Survivors of a big nightclub fire which killed 59 people in Bangkok on New Year's Eve have accused the venue of ignoring basic safety rules. Police are investigating the cause of a fire in a Bangkok nightclub that killed 59 people, amid reports that fireworks were to blame.
More than 200 people, including at least four Britons, were injured in the fire at the Santika club.More than 200 people, including at least four Britons, were injured in the fire at the Santika club.
Survivors have accused the venue of ignoring basic safety rules.
Customers were reportedly allowed to detonate firecrackers inside the club, which lacked a fire exit and had bars on the windows.Customers were reportedly allowed to detonate firecrackers inside the club, which lacked a fire exit and had bars on the windows.
A BBC correspondent says the venue was not even registered as a nightclub. The police say there are no grounds yet for charging the owners of the club, but an investigation into the causes of the fire will be completed within two to three weeks.
He says this situation is routine in Thailand, where zoning and building restrictions are often ignored. Safety concerns
There are suspicions that firecrackers released inside the club may have been the cause of the blaze. Only a full investigation can give a definitive answer as to whether the Santika was unsafe, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been to see the charred remains of the building, and met injured victims. But already there is enough circumstantial evidence from the accounts of survivors to conclude that the club probably failed to meet the most basic safety standards, he says.
"The problem was that firecrackers were allowed to be brought inside (the nightclub), that is the issue about which we have to be more cautious and it has to be controlled more strictly," Mr Abhisit told reporters. The management allowed fireworks to be lit inside a building packed with up to 1,000 revellers.
Video of the immediate aftermath shows terrified party-goers stumbling out of the blazing club, many of them bruised or burned, in torn clothing.
'Sub-standard' safety
Police said the fire may have been caused by firecrackers brought into the nightclub by guests or sparks flying from a pyrotechnic New Year countdown display.
Steven Hall describes how he escaped the fireSteven Hall describes how he escaped the fire
They said most of the victims died from suffocation, but some were also killed in a stampede as party-goers tried to leave the club. Material that ignited in the ceiling - possibly soundproofing - flared into an inferno in just a few minutes and produced toxic fumes which killed many of the victims.
Fire brigade officials said the death toll was high because there were few exits from the building and because windows on the upper floors had iron bars across them. There was no emergency lighting, so people had to find their way out in pitch darkness.
Police said their initial investigation found the club's safety system was "sub-standard" but did not elaborate. The venue was not even registered as a nightclub - a situation which our correspondent says is not uncommon in Thailand.
Eye witnesses Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who went to see the charred building, said he believed guests had been allowed to bring firecrackers into the club and he called for stricter controls.
The BBC's Jonathan Head, in Bangkok, said witnesses saw flames shooting up from a stage in the club shortly after midnight, setting the ceiling alight. Eyewitnesses
class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7807202.stm">Hazy safety in party zone class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7807768.stm">'Angel' saved Briton in Thai fire They described panic among the crowd as the club was plunged into darkness, and the burning ceiling collapsed. Video of the immediate aftermath shows terrified party-goers stumbling out of the blazing club, many of them bruised or burned and in torn clothing.
Our correspondent says around 30 bodies have been burned beyond recognition. Some witnesses saw flames shooting up from a stage in the club shortly after midnight, setting the ceiling alight.
A resident of an apartment block behind the nightclub, Sompong Tritweelap, told the Associated Press he saw screaming people battling to escape the flames class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7807202.stm">Hazy safety in party zone class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7807768.stm">'Angel' saved Briton in Thai fire
"Everybody was pushing against each other trying to get out to the front door as quickly as possible. They described panic among the crowd as the club was plunged into darkness and the burning ceiling collapsed.
"I saw people, particularly young girls, being pushed away and crushed underneath as others were stomping on them trying to get out", Mr Sompong said. A resident of an apartment block behind the nightclub, Sompong Tritweelap, told the Associated Press news agency he had seen screaming people battling to escape the flames.
"People were screaming for help from every window. It was a terrible sight. Their hair and clothes were on fire but there was nothing they could do as the fire engulfed them," he said. "I saw people, particularly young girls, being pushed away and crushed underneath as others were stomping on them trying to get out," he said.
Grisly toll A joint roster provided by Bangkok hospitals shows that three Japanese, two South Koreans and one Singaporean were treated while another Singaporean died.
A joint roster provided by Bangkok hospitals showed that three Japanese, two South Koreans and one Singaporean were treated while another Singaporean had died. One of the Japanese casualties was in a coma and suffering from burns over 60% of his body, doctors said.
One of the Japanese casualties was in a coma and suffering from burns over 60 percent of his body, doctors said.
The UK Foreign Office said at least four Britons had been hurt.The UK Foreign Office said at least four Britons had been hurt.
Our correspondent says Thailand's capital is renowned for its nightlife, but many clubs are loosely regulated and often have very poor fire safety systems.
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