Thai police revealed that three foreigners were killed, and multiple others were injured when Ember Hotel on Bangkok's Khao San Road, a well-known tourist hotspot, caught fire on Sunday, December 29, night.
Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee told The Associated Press that the three who died in the fire were all foreign tourists. One of them was found dead at the scene, while the other two died after being taken to hospital.
75 guests evacuated
According to the police, the fire erupted on the fifth floor of the six-storey hotel. The cause of the fire is being investigated, and the flames were eventually contained.
At the time of the fire, the hotel was occupied by 75 guests. Five foreigners and two Thai nationals were among the seven injured.
Sreekanth Kolamala, who witnessed the rescue operation, said that firefighters "broke the glass over there to try to pull people out." The 37-year-old Indian national lives in Singapore and was in Thailand on vacation.
Sanga Ruangwattanakul, the president of the Khao San Road Business Association, stood outside The Ember Hotel on Monday, December 30, as he looked 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..."
Ruangwattanakul told AP, "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."
Following the event, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt further underlined the significance of safety, particularly as New Year's Eve draws near and there would be fireworks and other festivities all around the city.
For the unversed, Khao San Road is a popular backpacker street in Bangkok, and it also known for its lively nightlife.
