Bangkok Hotel Fire Kills Three Foreigners

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Three foreign nationals have died after a fire broke out in the Ember Hotel in Thailand's Bangkok, near to the city's popular backpacker district.

 

In short:

Three foreign nationals have died after a fire broke out in a hotel near to Bangkok's popular backpacker district.

At least seven others were injured in the blaze, including two Thai nationals and five foreigners.

Thailand's police are investigating the fire's cause, and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has ordered a city-wide inspection of fire escape routes in hotels and entertainment venues.

The fire broke out on the fifth floor of the six-storey Ember Hotel on Sunday, local time, Bangkok's Fire and Rescue Department said.

The flames were eventually contained and the cause of the blaze is under investigation

The fire department said one woman died at the scene and two other men were pronounced dead at the hospital.

An emergency response scene remains in place outside of the hotel as authorities work to determine the cause of the fatal fire.

Seven other people were injured, including two Thai nationals and five foreigners.

Authorities were still determining the nationalities of the deceased on Monday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that no Australians are understood to have been affected by the blaze.

"The Australian Embassy in Bangkok continues to liaise with local authorities but at this stage is not aware of any Australians affected by the fire at Ember Hotel," the statement said.

"We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims."

The hotel is located near the Khao San area of Bangkok, which is popular with backpackers and known for its bars and hostels.

"Authorities reacted quickly and the fire alarm sounded, but the smoke was fast," Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters on Monday.

Police forensics teams were called in to inspect the scene of the fire, which broke out on the fifth floor of the six-storey hotel.

There were 75 people in the hostel, 34 of whom were rescued from the rooftop, and the cause of the fire was still being investigated, he said.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, a management team at the Ember Hotel said the venue has been "temporarily closed".

"Access to the building will remain restricted until the authorities have deemed it safe for reopening," the statement said.

"We deeply apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding during this challenging time. 

"Rest assured, we are working diligently to resolve this situation."

Governor Sittipunt has ordered a city-wide inspection of fire escape routes in hotels and entertainment venues.

"We have to build confidence and take care of tourists," he said.

Sreekanth Kolamala, a 37-year-old Indian national who lives in Singapore and was in Thailand on vacation, witnessed the rescue operation and told the Associated Press (AP) that firefighters "broke the glass over there to try to pull people out."

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, the president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said 20,000 people were expected at a New Year's Eve countdown event on Tuesday night.

"Now everybody's scared about what happened and they're scared it will affect the event tomorrow," he told AP.

"But definitely there's no worry because we already had a meeting with the police station and we have over 150 police and district staff to cover on Khao San Road for security," he said.

Tourism is a key driver of South-East Asia's second-largest economy, with the country recording 32 million foreign tourist arrivals between January 1 and December 1 this year — up by 28 per cent from the year earlier.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-30/bangkok-ember-hotel-fire-kills-foreigners-thailand-authorities/104772452

[Mekong]

I know it’s no laughing matter but “Ember Hotel” is an ironic name for a Hotel that caught fire.

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22 minutes ago, Mekong said:

I know it’s no laughing matter but “Ember Hotel” is an ironic name for a Hotel that caught fire.

Was thinking the same thing. Reminds me of a genuine business operating north of Sydney