Survivor of Bangkok Beer Restaurant Fire: No Way to Escape

(Central News Reporter Li Zongxian, Bangkok, April 14th Special Dispatch) 'First, there was a loud bang, and then it caught fire!' Usa described the scene when the fire broke out, chaos unfolded before her eyes, and soon after, she saw rescue personnel carrying out her friend's body, covered with a white sheet. Usa said sadly that just a few minutes before the incident, she was still drinking and listening to music with her friends, never expecting that going outside for some air would lead to her saying goodbye to her friends forever.

One day after the fire at the Bangkok beer restaurant, survivors continued to come to the restaurant's entrance to offer flowers. One of the survivors of this tragedy, Usa (Usa Tadsree), escaped unharmed because she went outside the restaurant for some air when the incident occurred. This tragedy took the lives of two of her friends, and another friend is still in the hospital receiving treatment for serious injuries.

Usa described that on that night, she and five friends were dining at the beer restaurant. When she went outside, she noticed thick smoke coming from the roof, so she quickly notified the restaurant's security. However, a few seconds later, the lights flickered, and flames burned fiercely, quickly engulfing the entire building. She was unable to run back into the restaurant to save her friends trapped inside.

She said that the security guard and another person rushed into the restaurant to call for everyone to evacuate, but before they could reach the seating area, the fire and thick smoke spread rapidly. A man who ran into the store came rushing out, 'the fire was like it was chasing after him,' and then the fire suddenly erupted.

After the incident, Usa has been interviewed multiple times by Thai media. Facing the camera, she couldn't help but cry as she described this experience again, her hands never letting go of the tissue.

The 41-year-old Usa tearfully said that one of her deceased friends left behind two young children, who will now be taken care of by their grandmother. She still can't forget the scene from that day, and every time she thinks about it, she cries. 'If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have brought everyone here.'

After experiencing this tragedy, she admitted that she no longer wants to go to entertainment venues, and only wants to spend time with her family. She said, 'We just wanted to find happiness, but this happened.'

Usa urged the authorities to strengthen safety management in entertainment venues, including increasing and regularly checking fire extinguishers, checking electrical equipment for short circuits, and improving the design of escape doors. 'The escape doors need to be large enough for everyone to escape together.'

Another 40-year-old survivor, Patthama (Patthama Samphanmak), brought a bouquet of flowers to the beer restaurant today. She told the reporters present that at the time of the incident, she was selling candy inside the restaurant, with her stall set up near the restroom.

Patthama said that she accompanied her friends to mourn the deceased because one of the deceased was a server she knew.

She recalled that at first, she heard a sound like breaking glass, and she thought someone was fighting or shooting. Afterward, she saw someone running towards the back door and shouting 'fire.' She only had time to grab a piece of clothing before following them out the back door.

She said, 'After I came out, I loudly called for the cleaning aunt. Later, the aunt fell down and was trampled, with injuries all over her body. It was another singer who pulled her out.'

Patthama said that she was really lucky to have escaped, because the speed at which the fire spread was too fast. 'It was so fast that everyone panicked, and it was almost impossible for a miracle to happen.'

A fire occurred late at night at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao beer restaurant in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok. According to data released by the Chatuchak District Office today, the incident resulted in 30 deaths and 76 injuries. This incident is the second major fire in a global entertainment venue following the New Year's Eve fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort that claimed 40 lives, and it is also the most serious entertainment venue fire incident in Thailand in recent years. (Editor: Chen Chengong) 1150714

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