BANGKOK, July 22 (Reuters) – The death toll from a July 13 fire at a pub in the Thai capital Bangkok rose to 35 on Wednesday, the city’s emergency services said.
• Twenty-one people were still in hospital, with 12 still in critical condition, the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre said.
• Another 48 people injured in the blaze have been discharged, the centre added.
• An explosive fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub broke out shortly before midnight on July 13 and filled the popular venue with thick smoke within minutes, Reuters has reported.
• Thai police are investigating possible negligence after emergency exits were found to have been obstructed, preventing people from escaping.
• Police authorities did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the progress of the investigation.
• On Monday, Thai police said no charges had been filed because the venue’s owner was still in hospital.
• The government vowed tighter regulations, including random inspections.
• In the last three days, over 800 venues have been inspected, with 56 ordered to suspend operations due to safety issues, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in a statement.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng, Editing by David Stanway)
