A big fire at a pub Wednesday night in downtown Bangkok killed at least 59 people and injured many others in New Year countdown celebration, local media reported.
The fire broke out at the popular Santika Pub in Ekkamai Soi 9 (Sukhumvit 63) late Wednesday night, police said. By press time, Thai TV channel TNN on Thursday reported that at least 59 people were killed and 212 were injured.
TV footage showed the entire three-story structure, which covered hundreds of square meters, on fire.
Firemen were alerted shortly after midnight but when they arrived at the three-story building, pandemonium was already breaking out with hundreds of people scrambling for their lives, TV reports said. 
A Thai fire official takes a picture of the bodies of victims outside Santika nightclub in Bangkok January 1, 2009. A blaze at the top Bangkok nightclub killed at least 59 people celebrating the New Year on Thursday and injured many others, local media reported. A lot of people remained trapped inside the most popular pub in the area when the firemen arrived, screaming for help.
A policeman looks at the bodies of victims outside Santika nightclub in Bangkok on January 1, 2009. It took two hours to bring the blaze under control.
A pub worker was quoted by TV as saying that up to 1,000 people could have been inside when the fire broke out.
Some pub workers told police that the fire was likely caused by fireworks explosions which meant to usher in the New Year after the countdown but set fire to the pub's ceilings made largely of inflammable materials.
One pub worker told reporters that the explosions were heard shortly after the New Year countdown ended. Fire started on the top floor and spread quickly, the pub worker said.
The quick smoke caused immediate panic, sending people scrambling to the front door where they had come in. Most of them were unaware there were three other exits, the pub worker said.
Those who died either suffered severe burns or were suffocated by smoke, police said.
Source:Xinhua
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