One Killed, 10 Injured In Bangkok Hotel Fire

[george]

One killed, 10 injured in Bangkok hotel fire

A fire broke out at the Grand Park Avenue Hotel, killing one person and injuring 10 others, police said.

The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the 15-storey hotel on Soi Sukhumvit 22 at 9:50 pm.

A body was later found on the fourth floor, which is for holding banquet, by fire fighters.

The injured people were guests staying on the seventh floor. They suffered from inhaling smoke.

Fire fighters took about 30 minutes to control the blaze.

-- The Nation 2012-03-08

[george]

11:49pm: To add to the confusion, Deputy Bangkok Governor has just come out saying NO deaths from the fire on Suk22 @RichardBarrow

[MaiChai]

Was there earlier. Antiquated red fire engine trying to get through the Sukhumwit traffic. Girlfriend called me and told me to stay away from soi 22; she was up in Thonglor.

[george]

UPDATE:

Deputy Bangkok Governor reiterating that NO deaths from Suk22 hotel fire; 24 injured, 2 seriously

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

WELCOME TO GRAND PARK AVENUE BANGKOK

(formerly Grand Mercure Bangkok Park Avenue)

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine.

http://www.grandparkavenue.com/

Fire sprinklers inside????

[smokie36]

Glad no one has died. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

[toenail]

I know what the news will say Friday morning: City officials will now enforce the inspection of water sprinklers in hotels and fire escape information in hotels. (Meanwhile ignoring the importance of educating the public about NOT blocking the sois while being spectators of the fire, or failing to have up to date equipment.)

[george]

One dead in Bangkok hotel blaze

BANGKOK: -- One person died when a fire broke out at a 15-floor hotel in central Bangkok on Thursday, emergency services said.

The fire began at the Grand Mercure Park Avenue Hotel off the Sukhumvit Road at about 9.44 pm (14:44 GMT), a fire department official told AFP.

One person died and five were injured, according to the government's Erawan emergency centre, which said the blaze was under control.

Police assisted other guests to leave the building.

"We're now helping foreigners staying in the hotel," said a police officer at the scene.

It was unclear whether any guests were trapped inside.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-03-09

[george]

Fire burns at large hotel in Bangkok tourist area

BANGKOK: -- A fire has burned part of a high-rise hotel in Bangkok's main tourist district.

Firefighters rushed to the Grand Mercure Bangkok Park Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday and appeared to get the blaze under control. Smoke was visible outside, but the fire did not appear to be burning the building exterior.

An Associated Press photographer saw people still stranded on upper floors an hour later.

It was not immediately known if there were any casualties or what caused the blaze.

The mid-range hotel has has 221 rooms and is located off Sukhumvit Road, a tourist and residential district popular with foreigners.

-- AP 2012-03-09

[Unkomoncents]

Glad no one has died. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

Someone died, nudge, nudge...and it says there was one dead as of 58 mins ago...you wrote this 30 mins ago? RIP

[Ijustwannateach]

The news stories are still breaking and are inconsistent. The death may have occurred en route to or at the hospital. Or, an unconscious victim may have been called dead earlier, and then later really died. Let's hold off on the nit-picking until the situation is less chaotic.

[Ijustwannateach]

[takes mod hat off] It does seem that Asoke is especially unlucky this week. One more and it's not going to seem like coincidence anymore.

[TAWP]

Hope everyone will recover - and that the aftermath from the investigation brings some positive change.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

How about if the news reports catch on that the hotel isn't the Mercure anymore...at least according to the hotel's own website...

BTW, on the subject of fire sprinklers in older buildings, ala the Fico building fire and perhaps here...

One way some other cities have handled that difficult issue with older high rises that predate sprinkler laws is to require sprinklers be installed when different kinds of trigger events occur...Such as...

--any time the building is sold, and money is changing hands, it's not unreasonable for local government to require that fire and life safety upgrades be made part of the sale.

and/or

--when an existing building undergoes a certain level of modification, upgrading or expansion, etc -- again where the owners are already spending money == to then also mandate fire and life safety upgrades be added.

Ill be very interested to see what kind of supposedly promised directive the BMA is going to issue on requiring fire sprinklers in older highrises that currently lack them.... The usual routine is lots of promises, and then little or nothing in the way of actual performance.

[osiboy]

unusual that nobody has said " this could happen in any country" yet , .........yeah right , ....it could, but it DOES'NT ......

my money is on another electical fault , ...............hope there are no casualties.

[Nisa]

unusual that nobody has said " this could happen in any country" yet , .........yeah right , ....it could, but it DOES'NT ......

my money is on another electical fault , ...............hope there are no casualties.

What doesn't happen in other countries? Fires or Hotel Fires or Fires in Thailand?

If your are referring to Hotel fires in Thailand then yes, they only happen in Thailand.

Hotel fires in the news

[DP25]

unusual that nobody has said " this could happen in any country" yet , .........yeah right , ....it could, but it DOES'NT ......

my money is on another electical fault , ...............hope there are no casualties.

Uhh...highrise fires happen all the time in other countries too.

From 2 minutes googling here are recent skyscraper fires in NYC and Chicago that left dozens injured

http://www.dnainfo.c...ttan-skyscraper

http://www.thejourna...223065-Sep2011/

http://www.cbsnews.c...162-659717.html

One in Madrid that resulted in the entire building being demolished

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4261315.stm

[somchai69]

I assume the fire exits were locked (chained?) as per normal Thai practice,

for security, of course.

[bkkbrad]

unusual that nobody has said " this could happen in any country" yet , .........yeah right , ....it could, but it DOES'NT ......

my money is on another electical fault , ...............hope there are no casualties.

What doesn't happen in other countries? Fires or Hotel Fires or Fires in Thailand?

If your are referring to Hotel fires in Thailand then yes, they only happen in Thailand.

Hotel fires in the news

Well said Nisa

Quite why someone has to be negative about Thailand in this thread is beyond me.

Condolences to the family of the person who died & a speedy recovery to those injuered.

[LPCustom69]

This has happened a couple of times within the last month. Electrical inspections need to be made now at all hotels, and sprinkler systems need to be working, or they're going to feel tourism money going elsewhere. I wonder if there is any chance of arson on these recent fires.

[wlcart]

Why bother getting your facts straight first, I want my news now. No dead, one dead, two dead, who cares, just give me my fix.

[Adeeos]

Hhhmmmm that's 2 hotel/hi-rise fires in about 1 block,, in about less than 1 week,,,, hhhmmmm,,,, is someone trying to buy up those blocks?,,,, odd in a city this size,, they are so close, in area, and time I think,,,

[Minos]

@Adeeos

You need to remember that those hotels look very shiny and new from the outside, but that most of those buildings are fairly old and the electrics behind it are a mess. Probably the budget costs and the amount of time to check and replace the electrics in every room are to much work for most of the hotels... Let's just hope this will inspire other hotels to recheck their fire safety measures.

[JMG]

WELCOME TO GRAND PARK AVENUE BANGKOK

(formerly Grand Mercure Bangkok Park Avenue)

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine.

http://www.grandparkavenue.com/

Fire sprinklers inside????

Getting ready for the Grand Prix.

[gjoo888]

unusual that nobody has said " this could happen in any country" yet , .........yeah right , ....it could, but it DOES'NT ......

my money is on another electical fault , ...............hope there are no casualties.

I didn't know London, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Cheshire, etc., were now part of Thailand.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8612031/Fire-rips-through-Park-Lane-Hilton-hotel-after-music-awards-ceremony.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13998054

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/8661583.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13277198

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005628/Peckforton-Castle-wedding-Guests-flee-exclusive-country-house-hotel.html

[kartman]

Two dead apparently a western woman made a dive for the pool and did not make it.

[monty1412]

[takes mod hat off] It does seem that Asoke is especially unlucky this week. One more and it's not going to seem like coincidence anymore.

Yes that was my thought as well... where there smoke there's fire sort of thing....

[antipodesant]

WELCOME TO GRAND PARK AVENUE BANGKOK

(formerly Grand Mercure Bangkok Park Avenue)

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine.

http://www.grandparkavenue.com/

Fire sprinklers inside????

Say! whats a fire sprinkler??

[witsawakorn]

WELCOME TO GRAND PARK AVENUE BANGKOK

(formerly Grand Mercure Bangkok Park Avenue)

Conveniently located in a quiet lane just off bustling Sukhumvit Road, the Grand Park Avenue is a 4 star hotel offering 221 elegantly decorated rooms and restaurants featuring Italian and Thai cuisine.

http://www.grandparkavenue.com/

Fire sprinklers inside????

i

I assume the fire exits were locked (chained?) as per normal Thai practice,

for security, of course.

There was nothing in the OP to suggest that fire exits were locked. Or do we now base news on assumptions? How many fire doors have you found locked in Thailand? Have you ever checked? I assume that you just copied your assumption from some other Doom and Gloom TV negative poster

[softgeorge]

11:49pm: To add to the confusion, Deputy Bangkok Governor has just come out saying NO deaths from the fire on Suk22 @RichardBarrow

Don't want to effect tourism so retract that death, all is well now the person has been reincarnated to his previous life.