The fire broke out around 1 a.m. at the Mountain B nightclub, a one-story building in the Sattahip district of Chonburi province, southeast of Bangkok. and about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the city of Pattaya, a popular tourist destination, Thai police said.
Police Colonel Wuttipong Somjai told CNN that the fire took place during a live music performance and burn injuries range from “minor to severe.”
All those who died were Thai nationals, he confirmed. Rescue officials said one of the dead was a 17-year-old boy, the youngest death identified so far.
Colonel Somjai said the cause of the fire is now under investigation.
Nattanit Pikulkaew said he was at the nightclub to celebrate his brother’s birthday and was near the front of the stage when a woman ran to shout that the roof was on fire.
Seconds later, he saw that the stage speakers were on fire.
“In a very short time, the fire had spread to the ceiling,” he told CNN, adding that as audience members tried to escape, the entrance to the club was jammed.
“I saw people trying to break through the glass walls, but they were too thick,” he said.
His brother suffered severe burns and is in critical condition; his friend died inside the building.
Raphon Namtham, a local musician who regularly performs at the nightclub on Monday evenings, told CNN that the venue opened two months ago and had become popular with locals for its live band performances, which they took place every night from 12 to 1 a.m. “The customers come to drink and dance,” he said.
He was not at the nightclub when the fire broke out, but said the front door was the only point of entry and exit for patrons.
Musicians would enter and exit through the back door, which would be locked during performances, he said.
He added that the roof of the nightclub was lined with highly flammable acoustic panels.
Namtham said the band Taew Waew had been performing at the time of the fire and that their replacement singer and keyboardist were among those who had died. He said the drummer was on a life support ventilator at a nearby hospital.
Photos from a local search operation Rescue Sattahip showed badly charred seats inside the venue.
