Seven killed in Pattaya blaze
Seven people were killed and about 50 were injured last night when fire engulfed a building in Pattaya that houses several entertainment venues, police said.
The fire started at about 9pm in the building, which is located on Pattaya No 3 Road in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district. A number of the victims are thought to be employees of the entertainment venue's discotheque, pub and cocktail lounge, said Police Colonel Somnuek Janket, superintendent of the Pattaya police station. It was not confirmed last night whether any customers were among those injured. Five of the victims - four women and one man - were pronounced dead after being admitted to Bang Lamung Hospital in Chon Buri. The sex of the other victims, who died inside the pub, remained unknown. When the fire began, there were around 300 customers in the entertainment venues and stage shows were being performed. The venue normally caters for between 300 and 500 visitors every day, including foreigners, local residents said. Most of the victims are believed to have died from suffocation and those injured suffered from burns, police said. Rescue workers said they believe all of the building's surviving occupants were evacuated. The fire was extinguished but police were unable to enter the compound for inspection as the building was still smouldering.
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