Official Probe Finds Phuket's Tiger Disco Failed To Meet Fire-Safety Regulations

[webfact]

Official probe finds Tiger Disco failed to meet fire-safety regulations

Phuket Gazette

A Phuket Police officer at the scene on the morning of the disaster pictured with the Tiger Discotheque fire escape ladders behind him. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

The report cited several breaches of fire regulations, including that some of the escape ladders did not reach required standards. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- The findings of an official investigation into the Tiger Discotheque fire that killed four people on August 17 were publicly released yesterday. They cite failure by nightclub management to adhere to multiple fire-safety regulations.

The report, compiled by the Building Society Inspectors and Officers Association (BSA) and the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA), did not cite the cause of the fire, but did give clear evidence that the venue was not in compliance with the provisions of several fire-safety codes.

The disco had improper placement of fire extinguishers and faulty emergency-exit ladders, and used a highly-flammable foam for wall and ceiling decorations, said the report.

Some of the emergency-exit ladders were found to be too short to reach the ground, which matches witness reports of individuals being forced to jump from the burning building.

The report also supported evidence that the decorations on the ceilings and walls of the building were made of highly flammable expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which is now illegal to use inside buildings.

“We have just received the report from the BSA and the ASA today. However, it does not cite the cause of the fire. We are still waiting for another report about the cause of the fire, from the National Office of Forensic Science,” Patong Police duty officer Jongserm Preecha told the Phuket Gazette today.

Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan says that “The forensic report is expected to come out on September 24 [Monday].”

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article17966.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-09-21

[Yme]

Surprise, surprise, surprise. Might help to explain the company's rapid reaction to the fire and its dispatching of a senior lawyer as spokesperson, the large amounts of money they've thrown around paying for medical treatment and transfers of those injured and the Bt1 million compensation offered for those killed.

I've got a feeling someone better open the safe and whole lot more money is going to be needed.

[asiawatcher]

Nothing surprising and contradicts their lame excuses they did not understand the laws. Guilty as charged - off with their heads (said The Red Queen - Alice in Wonderland!)

[Johnnie99]

Official probe finds Tiger Disco failed to meet fire-safety regulations

Impossible!

[madmitch]

Has the committee managed to work out whether the disco was open after hours yet? I haven't seen this reported.

[Pormax]

Maybe one should look closely at the Fire Department to see when the last fire/safety check was carried out and who signed to say that it met the safety requirements or who paid/received the back hander to get a safety certificate.

[apalink_thailand]

Maybe one should look closely at the Fire Department to see when the last fire/safety check was carried out and who signed to say that it met the safety requirements or who paid/received the back hander to get a safety certificate.

Not gonna happen.

[cloudhopper]

Maybe one should look closely at the Fire Department to see when the last fire/safety check was carried out and who signed to say that it met the safety requirements or who paid/received the back hander to get a safety certificate.

Not gonna happen.

Exactly. Compliance inspections in LOS, when they exist at all, are utterly bogus. As are all the ISO-compliant claims.

[ricardofel]

So what else is new for Thailand. This won't be the last disaster because authorities just don't care about the safety of patrons.

[Pormax]

Maybe one should look closely at the Fire Department to see when the last fire/safety check was carried out and who signed to say that it met the safety requirements or who paid/received the back hander to get a safety certificate.

Not gonna happen.

Yes I know, but one can dream!!!!

[gp2002]

Really?!?!?!?

What a shock. Maybe some of the fire exit doors were locked as well.

[Keesters]

Maybe one should look closely at the Fire Department to see when the last fire/safety check was carried out and who signed to say that it met the safety requirements or who paid/received the back hander to get a safety certificate.

Exactly what I thought on reading the headline. I don't frequent discos but I'd say that most department stores in Thailand wouldn't conform to any reasonable fire/safety regulations. Tukcom (previously Day & Night) in Pattaya is a disaster waiting to happen.

[steelepulse]

From what I read in another online publication, the fire started in the ceiling, which would explain staff removing the new lighting rig right after the fire was put out. I wonder if that bit of info about the new lighting rig made it into the report?

What about charges? Someone should be held responsible.