Hotel had no fire exits, safety features: panel
Play
The fire-damaged Grand Park Avenue Hotel in Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 22 was found to have neither fire exits nor a smoke blocking system.
Side windows in the hotel rooms of the dead Russian tourists were locked and could not let smoke out, according to the initial findings of a committee.Two guests died in the blaze and 20 other people were hurt.
Another building that was damaged in a blaze recently – Fico Place on Asoke Road – was found to have no sprinklers and to have illegally modified areas to add more office space. As a result, fire escapes were hard to find in an emergency.
The nearby GMM Grammy building, however, was praised as a good example for safety with efficient security systems, including workable sprinklers and three fire escape ladders.
These were the initial findings yesterday by the Bangkok Council-assigned special committee, led by Kitjapol Cherchoosakul, which was checking on safety measures in high-rise buildings. The panel was accompanied by deputy city police chief Major-General Wichai Sangprapai and Klong Toei district director Wiparat Chaiyanukit on an inspection of the hotel’s fire scene on the fifth floor and its general safety measures.
Kitjapol said the hotel had modified a part of the building and had no smoke blocking system. The result was smoke billowed through pipes to upper floors, causing people to choke.
Side windows in the Russians’ room were locked shut, containing the smoke. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration public works officials will also inspect how fire alarms and emergency lighting systems performed during fire. The Klong Toei District Office would inspect adherence to other safety measures in accordance with the Building Control Act, Kitjapol said.
Police have notified the hotel about the illegal modification charges according to the Building Control Act, as reported by the Klong Toei District Office. After completing interviews of witnesses, they will summon the hotel’s owner to hear the charges next week.
