1 January 2009

Nightclub blaze kills 66

At least 66 people were killed and more than 240 injured in a fire at the Santika nightclub as revellers gathered to celebrate the ringing in of the new year.

The majority of deaths and injuries were caused by smoke inhalation, burns and injuries sustained during a stampede that proceeded in the fire’s immediate aftermath, as hundreds of people scrambled to escape.

More than a thousand people were allowed into the building, which had a capacity for only 500 people, said Deputy National Police Commissioner Gen Jongrak Jutanont.

The safety measures were also dysfunctional. Fire exits were not clearly marked; automatic fire extinguishers were not present.

Santika opened in 2004 and became one of the more popular clubs in the capital. Investigators later said it was spared safety inspections and raids for illegal alcohol sales after a senior police officer became a shareholder in 2006.

1 January 2009

Nightclub blaze kills 66

At least 66 people were killed and more than 240 injured in a fire at the Santika nightclub as revellers gathered to celebrate the ringing in of the new year.

The majority of deaths and injuries were caused by smoke inhalation, burns and injuries sustained during a stampede that proceeded in the fire’s immediate aftermath, as hundreds of people scrambled to escape.

More than a thousand people were allowed into the building, which had a capacity for only 500 people, said Deputy National Police Commissioner Gen Jongrak Jutanont.

The safety measures were also dysfunctional. Fire exits were not clearly marked; automatic fire extinguishers were not present.

Santika opened in 2004 and became one of the more popular clubs in the capital. Investigators later said it was spared safety inspections and raids for illegal alcohol sales after a senior police officer became a shareholder in 2006.