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BANGKOK — The death toll from a devastating Bangkok bar fire has risen to 33, authorities said on Wednesday, as Thailand pledged a nationwide overhaul of entertainment venue regulations.
The blaze tore through the popular Rong Beer Na Lad Phrao restaurant and bar on Sunday night, rapidly engulfing the venue. Investigators have been looking at the cause of the fire and why it was so deadly, with many of the bodies found by the toilets. In a video released by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's office of his visit to the scene, seen by AFP, he was told by an official that there were two functioning exit doors.
But one door was labelled for staff only, with no clear sign that it was to be used in an emergency, the official said.
"So this means people weren't aware that this was the emergency fire exit," Anutin can be heard saying.
One of the rescuers replied: "This might have been to prevent customers from escaping without paying."
Speaking on Tuesday, Anutin suggested that another door that might have been used to escape was locked, saying: "How could this happen?"
The government has ordered an urgent inspection of all entertainment venues across the country.
Anutin also said authorities would review regulations on how venues are classified after it emerged Rong Beer Na Lad Phrao was not licensed to offer live music, despite doing so regularly. "Businesses that do not comply with regulations are not sustainable, and the owner of this venue will face the utmost prosecution," the premier added.
The owner of the bar was admitted to intensive care immediately after the fire, but it was not clear if he was still in hospital. Thailand's approach to health and safety regulations -- particularly in bars and nightclubs -- has long raised concerns. In 2009, a blaze tore through Bangkok's Santika club during New Year celebrations, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.
A building safety expert told AFP earlier that Rong Beer Na Lad Phrao lacked the safety systems required for the large crowds and live music events it hosted.
The Erawan Emergency Medical Centre, operated by Bangkok city authorities, said Wednesday the death toll has risen to 33 with around 70 injured, including more than a dozen who remained in critical condition in hospital.
