The deadly fire that claimed 27 lives at a pub in Bangkok bears striking similarities to two major fire tragedies in India, the Goa nightclub fire and the Lucknow coaching centre blaze.
According to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the fire is believed to have started near the stage after smoke was seen coming from a circuit breaker. Moments later, the electricity inside the pub failed, followed by a loud explosion. Within minutes, thick black smoke spread rapidly through the venue, leaving people with little time to escape.
Read More: Thailand: 27 dead, several hospitalised as massive fire engulfs pub in Bangkok, what exactly happened?
A musician who witnessed the incident told the Prime Minister that he first noticed smoke rising from the circuit breaker near the stage before the power outage and explosion. Videos shared by rescue personnel show panicked patrons rushing towards the main entrance in an attempt to escape the flames.
Several victims found inside restrooms
Prime Minister Charnvirakul said the fire spread so quickly that many people were unable to find a safe exit. Several victims were later found inside the pub’s restrooms and in the rear section of the building, where they had apparently taken shelter from the smoke and flames.
Firefighters took around 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Images from the aftermath showed the pub’s interior completely gutted, with only burnt furniture and debris left behind.
Incident draws comparisons with Goa nightclub fire
The Bangkok tragedy has drawn comparisons with the deadly fire that broke out at Birch by Remio Lane, a nightclub in Arpora, Goa, in December last year.
That fire reportedly began near the stage or kitchen area, possibly due to an electrical fault or pyrotechnics during a dance event. The flames spread rapidly, trapping several people inside the venue.
A total of 25 people, including club employees and tourists, lost their lives. Investigators later found that many victims had died due to suffocation, while questions were also raised over inadequate emergency exits and alleged violations of fire safety norms.
Similar pattern seen in Lucknow coaching centre fire
The Bangkok incident has also been compared to last month’s fire at an animation coaching centre in Lucknow’s Aliganj area.
As the fire spread through the building, several students reportedly hid inside washrooms and rooms at the rear of the premises to escape the smoke, while others attempted to jump from windows.
The blaze claimed the lives of 15 students, most of them between the ages of 16 and 21. Many of the victims were found inside washrooms, where they reportedly died after inhaling toxic smoke.
Thailand has witnessed similar tragedies before
The latest fire has once again raised concerns over safety standards at entertainment venues in Thailand.
In 2022, a fire at a music pub in eastern Thailand killed 14 people.
Earlier, on January 1, 2009, a devastating blaze broke out during New Year’s celebrations at Bangkok’s Santika nightclub after an indoor fireworks display reportedly ignited the fire. The tragedy claimed 66 lives and left more than 200 people injured, making it one of Thailand’s deadliest nightclub disasters.
First published on: Jul 13, 2026 12:39 PM IST
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