Santika Club fire
Encyclopedia
The Santika Club fire occurred on Thursday, January 1, 2009, in the Santika Club nightclub
in Watthana
, Bangkok
, Thailand
, where New Year
celebrations were taking place. A total of 66 people were killed and another 222 injured when fire swept through the nightclub during the New Year's celebration as a band ironically called Burn was playing. The fire broke out at 12:35 a.m. and citizens of Australia
, Belgium
, Canada
, France
, Finland
, Japan
, Nepal
, the Netherlands
, Singapore
, South Korea
, Switzerland
, the United Kingdom
, and the United States
were among the injured.
that set the roof on fire, sparklers lighted inside the nightclub. and an electrical explosion. One witness stated there were no pyrotechnics in the club, while another reported seeing flames on the roof after going outside to watch the midnight fireworks display. Video recordings of the indoor stage event, including the countdown, show that only ordinary holiday sparklers were used. Moreover, the fire became visible indoors approximately 10 minutes after midnight. This strongly suggests the fire originated inside the ceiling space or on the roof, allowing it to grow in intensity while going unnoticed for some time. Due to the lax enforcement of building codes, tar paper and plastic are often used as waterproofing materials.
Some 1,000 guests and employees were in the club when it burned, and deaths occurred from both smoke inhalation
and burn
s, as well as a stampede
for the exit. Doctors stated that fumes from burning plastic could have caused people to faint after a few minutes. Santika only had one main exit, with an additional private staff exit. A third exit was locked to prevent robberies.
. Only 29 of the 61 bodies were immediately identified, of these 28 were Thais and the other a Singaporean. The bodies of those who died were wrapped in white cloth and placed in the club's car park pending removal. It took up to a week to identify the others because of extensive burns to their bodies. Pongsak Kasemsan, an official in Bangkok, ordered a preliminary investigation, with results by January 4.
After a preliminary inspection of the club's safety system, it was declared "substandard" by police Lieut. Gen. Jongrak Jutanont. It was revealed the club only had one fire extinguisher
, and that the nightclub was registered as a food vendor (restaurant), meaning it was required by law to close at midnight.
Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva
visited the site and said, "The question is why they let someone take fireworks inside the pub and light them up."
Two parallel investigations were launched, one by the police and one by the Ministry of Justice
. The police blamed the lead singer of Burn for setting off fireworks on stage and the club owner for recklessness and for illegally admitting people under the age of 19. The Ministry of Justice investigation discovered the nightclub was officially registered as a private residence and therefore had never received a fire safety inspection. It was also located in a zone where nightclubs are prohibited and the city architect's signature approving the club's design had been forged. Between 2004 and 2006, police had filed 47 charges against the club's owners for illegal operation. After that, however, no charges were filed. Suspicions of corruption were raised when one of the co-owners turned out to be a senior police officer. When the Ministry of Justice investigation was turned over to the police, sources close to the Minister reported he was furious.
On Sept 20, 2011, Thailand's Criminal Court found two persons -- Mr Wisuk Setsawat, the pub owner, and Mr Boonchu Laorinath, the light and sound company's owner -- guilty of negligence. Mr Wisuth and Mr Boonchoo were given three-year jail terms. Boonchoo was also ordered to pay Bt8.5 million in compensation to five plaintiffs, relatives of the victims.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Watthana
Watthana
Watthana is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbor districts are : Ratchathewi, Huai Khwang, Suan Luang, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Sathon, and Pathum Wan.-History:...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
celebrations were taking place. A total of 66 people were killed and another 222 injured when fire swept through the nightclub during the New Year's celebration as a band ironically called Burn was playing. The fire broke out at 12:35 a.m. and citizens of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were among the injured.
Cause of the fire
No official cause for the Santika fire has ever been announced by investigators. Suggested causes include outdoor fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
that set the roof on fire, sparklers lighted inside the nightclub. and an electrical explosion. One witness stated there were no pyrotechnics in the club, while another reported seeing flames on the roof after going outside to watch the midnight fireworks display. Video recordings of the indoor stage event, including the countdown, show that only ordinary holiday sparklers were used. Moreover, the fire became visible indoors approximately 10 minutes after midnight. This strongly suggests the fire originated inside the ceiling space or on the roof, allowing it to grow in intensity while going unnoticed for some time. Due to the lax enforcement of building codes, tar paper and plastic are often used as waterproofing materials.
Some 1,000 guests and employees were in the club when it burned, and deaths occurred from both smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.Smoke inhalation injury refers to injury due to inhalation or exposure to hot gaseous products of combustion. This can cause serious respiratory complications....
and burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s, as well as a stampede
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
for the exit. Doctors stated that fumes from burning plastic could have caused people to faint after a few minutes. Santika only had one main exit, with an additional private staff exit. A third exit was locked to prevent robberies.
Aftermath
The injured were taken to 19 hospitals, with most brought to Bangkok HospitalBangkok Hospital
Bangkok Hospital is a hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand. It was opened in 1972 by a team of doctors, pharmacists and 30 nurses. Currently the hospital is one of the largest privately-owned hospitals in Southeast Asia, and has grown to one of the most advanced hospitals in the world.Bangkok...
. Only 29 of the 61 bodies were immediately identified, of these 28 were Thais and the other a Singaporean. The bodies of those who died were wrapped in white cloth and placed in the club's car park pending removal. It took up to a week to identify the others because of extensive burns to their bodies. Pongsak Kasemsan, an official in Bangkok, ordered a preliminary investigation, with results by January 4.
After a preliminary inspection of the club's safety system, it was declared "substandard" by police Lieut. Gen. Jongrak Jutanont. It was revealed the club only had one fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
, and that the nightclub was registered as a food vendor (restaurant), meaning it was required by law to close at midnight.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
visited the site and said, "The question is why they let someone take fireworks inside the pub and light them up."
Investigations and Criminal Proceedings
The owner of the Santika Club was charged, along with twelve other directors. The owner was also charged with allowing an underage customer into the club after a 17-year-old student's body was recovered. He faced a further charge of carelessness resulting in death.Two parallel investigations were launched, one by the police and one by the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Thailand)
The Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Thailand is a Cabinet Ministry in the Government of Thailand. The Ministry is in charge of the criminal justice system in the Kingdom. As well as running prisons and aiding the Royal Thai Police, the ministry also run the government's drug and narcotic...
. The police blamed the lead singer of Burn for setting off fireworks on stage and the club owner for recklessness and for illegally admitting people under the age of 19. The Ministry of Justice investigation discovered the nightclub was officially registered as a private residence and therefore had never received a fire safety inspection. It was also located in a zone where nightclubs are prohibited and the city architect's signature approving the club's design had been forged. Between 2004 and 2006, police had filed 47 charges against the club's owners for illegal operation. After that, however, no charges were filed. Suspicions of corruption were raised when one of the co-owners turned out to be a senior police officer. When the Ministry of Justice investigation was turned over to the police, sources close to the Minister reported he was furious.
On Sept 20, 2011, Thailand's Criminal Court found two persons -- Mr Wisuk Setsawat, the pub owner, and Mr Boonchu Laorinath, the light and sound company's owner -- guilty of negligence. Mr Wisuth and Mr Boonchoo were given three-year jail terms. Boonchoo was also ordered to pay Bt8.5 million in compensation to five plaintiffs, relatives of the victims.