Bangkok nightclub blaze toll rises to 64

Keiichi Wada, 25, was pronounced dead at 9.05pm at Chulalongkorn Hospital, four days after suffering severe in¬jury caused by the inferno at the club on Ekamai Road.

Dr Chatree Charoentheerakul, SecretaryGeneral of the Institute of Emergency Medical Services, said that 68 of the injured vic¬tims were still receiving treat¬ment in hospitals, 35 in inten¬sive care units.

Meanwhile, Thong Lor Superintendant Colonel Suthin Sabpoung said that police had called for 13 shareholders and executives of White & Brothers (2003) Co, which ran the club, to give testimonies to police on Wednesday (January 7). He said that other witnesses including the popular DJs from FM 95.5 Virgin Radio, Poomjai "DJ Poom" Tangsanga and Wichian "DJ Petjah" Kusolmanomai would give ad¬ditional information to police later yesterday.

Suriya Ritrabue, managing director of White & Brothers (2003) Co and registered own¬er of the club, would initially face the charge of allowing persons under the drinking age of 20 into the club as patrons, punishable for Bt50,000 in fine, he said. Police had sent him a warrant to his home in Bang Sue district but the officer did not see him there thus posed the warrant in front of his home, he added. As for another charge of recklessly causing other people's deaths the man would face, it would be pend¬ing for police investigation into the cause of fire first, he said.

Insufficient safety measures

The Engineering Institute of Thailand under HM The King's patronage (EIT) and Public Works Department's Wattana Branch went to inspect the Santika site yester¬day. They found out there was no emergency and fire escape signs. However, they said the signs could have been there but were destroyed in the blaze. The inspection also found out that the usuable space was around 400 sq me¬tres which should handle around 400 patrons. "For 400 patrons, it should be safe enough with the three fire ex¬its, sprinkers and emergency signboards," said EIT expert Pichya Chandranuwat.

From the investigation, the main entrance with 2.18 metres width could handle only 200 patrons and the rest would have to find other exits. As ex¬pected, Pichya pointed out that the construction materials used inside the building were mainly flamable including fibreglass, resin and plastic.

Xtra

Help for victims at Thonglor Police Station

 Until today, Po Tek Tung Foundation has set up a help desk at the police station, giving Bt5,000 each for relatives of the dead.

 White & Brothers (2003) Co's major shareholder Visuk Setsawad's attorney Kongsak Poolcharoen has offered helps for relatives of the dead and injured people at the station's traffice police conference room. For more detail, call 084 386 2596

 Relatives of the dead should bring with them their IDs, death certificate and house registration.