Hotel fire in popular Bangkok tourist area kills 3 foreigners

BANGKOK (AP) — A fire broke out at a hotel near Bangkok’s Khao San Road, a popular tourist destination, killing three foreigners and injuring several other people, Thai police said Monday.

The three who died in the fire on Sunday night were all foreign tourists, Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee told The Associated Press. One was found dead at the scene and the other two died after being transported to the hospital.

Police later identified the dead as a Brazilian woman, a Ukrainian man and an American man. Five people were hospitalized, including a Japanese woman in critical condition. The others were identified as a Japanese man, two Germans and a Thai electrician.

The fire erupted on the 5th floor of the six-story Ember Hotel, police said. Khao San Road is a popular backpacker street in the Thai capital that’s also known for its lively nightlife.

The flames were eventually contained and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Seventy-five people were staying at the hotel at the time of the fire.

Sreekanth Kolamala, a 37-year-old Indian national who lives in Singapore and was in Thailand on vacation, witnessed the rescue operation and said that firefighters “broke the glass over there to try to pull people out.”

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, the president of the Khao San Road Business Association, stood outside The Ember Hotel on Monday, looking at the damage. He said 20,000 people were expected at a New Year’s Eve countdown event on Tuesday night.

“Now everybody’s scared about what happened and they’re scared it will affect the event tomorrow. But definitely there’s no worry because we already had a meeting with the police station and we have over 150 police and district staff to cover on Khao San Road for security,” he said.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt also emphasized the importance of safety following the incident, especially as New Year’s Eve approaches, with fireworks and other celebrations planned across the city.

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Associated Press journalists Jerry Harmer and Tian Macleod Ji contributed to this report.