BANGKOK, Thailand — A fire swept through a high-class nightclub jammed with several hundred New Year’s revelers early today, killing at least 59 people and injuring about 130, officials said.
Most of the dead were foreigners, police said. The blaze erupted shortly after midnight at the Santika Club in an entertainment district of Bangkok.
Victims died from burns, smoke inhalation and injuries during the stampede to escape from the club, which had only one door for the public, police Maj. Gen. Chokchai Deeprasertwit said. Firefighters said a door at the rear was known only to the staff, while an Associated Press reporter saw a third door at one side of the building.
Video footage of the disaster showed bloodied, bruised and burned victims being dragged out of the burning club or managing to run through the door or shattered windows. The video — provided to AP Television News by rescue workers — showed flames racing through the entire building even as the rescue operation was going on.
Police Gen. Jongrak Jutanont put the death toll at 59, which included an undetermined number of foreigners. He said that among the injured were nationals of Australia, Nepal, Japan and the Netherlands.
Rescue workers said they believed other bodies were still inside the blaze-gutted building, which has two stories and a basement.
Local press reports said as many as 200 people were injured.
Chokchai said that the fire may have been caused by firecrackers brought into the Santika Club by guests or sparks flying from a New Year’s countdown display on the nightclub stage.
The Web site of The Nation newspaper quoted one party-goer, Somchai Frendi, as saying the blaze was caused by fireworks that ignited the second-floor ceiling, which was made largely of sound-proofing material.
The club was packed with about 1,000 celebrants, according to police officers who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Emergency workers said the rescue operation was delayed because of heavy New Year’s traffic in the Ekamai entertainment district and the large number of cars parked outside the club.
Firefighter Watcharapong Sri-saard said that in addition to a lack of exits, a number of staircases inside the club as well as bars across the second-floor windows made escape difficult.
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