Thai police investigate security lapses after deadly Bangkok bar fire

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the air conditioner, which caused the bar to cut off quickly.

But many people who visited the bar earlier described it as a dark room, even in its original state. Fatasara Camelot, who visited in May, told BBC Thai that she had to walk a “winding path” to get to the bathroom and said the exits were not well-marked.

Busakorn Sainsuk, a fire safety expert at the Institute of Thai Engineering who witnessed the incident at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, said the door near the toilet was locked, while the two doors at the entrance were partially blocked by furniture and other items.

Busakorn told BBC Thai that the customers were instinctively running away from the fire.

But after reaching the rear, they could not get out.

“If the emergency signs had been on, people would have been able to see how the door was locked and they could have opened it,” she said.

Busakorn also pointed out that the stage was decorated using highly flammable plastic flowers and the ceiling was lined with flammable foam.

Survivors described the arena as engulfed in flames within seconds. Thai indie band Totsaka, who were performing at the time of the fire, lost two members in the accident.