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. Four people were
hospitalized, of whom one was in critical condition.
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.
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