A fire raced through a bar called Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao in northern Bangkok late Sunday night, killing at least 27 people and injuring 73 more. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed these numbers in a televised statement the next morning Al Jazeera. Of the injured, 25 were in critical condition and 32 had already been treated and released Al Jazeera.

Early news reports mentioned different numbers for injuries—some said 63, others said 22 in critical condition. This happens after large disasters because injured people go to different hospitals and information takes time to coordinate RTE. The Bangkok Post reported that at least nine men and 18 women were found dead Straits Times.

The bar was located in a busy shopping area near the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. The building was about 50 years old Al Jazeera. Firefighters put out the flames in roughly 30 minutes, but that was enough time for dozens of people to become trapped inside.

Police say most of the dead were found in small bathrooms with no windows near the back exit. This suggests people got confused in the smoke and could not find a way out. The bar had four exits, and police say some may have been locked when the fire started Al Jazeera. Investigators believe negligence played a role and are checking whether exits were blocked or locked and whether materials used for decoration caught fire easily Al Jazeera.

Official investigators think an electrical problem in an air conditioner hanging from the ceiling may have started the fire, though they need to confirm this. One person who escaped said the fire alarm never went off The Nation Thailand. A band was performing when the fire started; the lead singer was later found and treated for injuries The Nation Thailand.

The district chief said he will shut down the bar permanently if investigators prove the four exits were locked or blocked The Nation Thailand. City leaders have opened a help center for families of the victims and ordered all entertainment venues in Bangkok to be checked for working fire exits The Nation Thailand.

This is the worst nightclub fire in Thailand since 2008, when the Santika Club caught fire on New Year's Eve and killed 67 people. The same problems keep showing up: exits that were blocked or not enough of them, materials that caught fire easily, and buildings that were old or changed from their original purpose without proper safety updates The Nation Thailand. There was also a deadly nightclub fire in 2022 that killed 26 people Bangkok Post.

They say officials make safety rules better after each big fire, but the same dangers come back. The real question is whether this fire finally forces real change or whether people just do more inspections for a few weeks and then go back to ignoring the rules. Only time will tell.

Some people injured in the fire are still in serious condition. Because people died from burns weeks after a previous nightclub fire, the final death count for this one may go up.