Special effects a suspect in police hunt for pub fire cause

The inferno broke out at the upscale club on New Year's Day just minutes after Year 2009 opened.

"We are gathering evidence. Within the next two weeks, we will convene a meeting of investigators and decide whether anyone should be charged with what happened," Metropolitan Police Division 5 deputy commander Colonel Kajornsak Pansakorn said yesterday in his capacity as the head of the investigation team.

He was speaking after he led officials from the Scientific Crime Detection Division to inspect the scene.

Focus Light Sound System Company, responsible for staging special effects at the Santika's countdown party, and another company yesterday showed how the special effects worked.

A report submitted to Cabinet from Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul suggested the special effects might have sparked the fire that quickly engulfed the whole pub.

Kajornsak added that police were now waiting for Santika manager Suriya Ritrabeu to testify. "We have already summoned him," Kajornsak said. "If he does not report to police by this Friday, we will ask the court to issue an arrest warrant".

Suriya will be charged with allowing people younger than 20 to enter the pub. Many victims in the fire were reportedly underage patrons.

According to police, more than 200 witnesses have already testified in the case, including survivors and relatives of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Bangkok City Clerk Pongsak Semsant has convened a meeting of officials to discuss boosting safety in public buildings in Bangkok.

Just days after the Santika fire, another blaze raged through the Sua Pa Plaza - which is also located in Bangkok.

Public buildings such theatres, big hotels and condominium projects, are legally obliged to follow standards to ensure safety of people inside. More than 5,900 buildings in Bangkok must pass these required standards.

Currently, district offices are preparing to sue the owners of many of these buildings for failing to do so.

Offenders are liable to a fine of Bt60,000 and up to three years in jail. They must also pay a daily fine of Bt10,000 until their buildings comply with the laws.

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul yesterday reported to Cabinet that a main cause for the high casualties at the Santika was the large number of revellers.

"Although the Santika building had as many as exits as required by law, the exits were not adequate to allow a large number of people to flee safely," the report said.

The Chaovarat report suggested new laws or regulations should be passed to control the number of people at entertainment venues.

"The interior ministry has already assigned the departments of provincial administration, public works and town & country planning, disaster prevention and mitigation and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to draft laws or regulations for this purpose," the report said.