A British survivor of the Bangkok club fire speaks out
- 00:02:17
- ITN
A British survivor of the Bangkok club fire speaks out
Two of the four Britons injured in a devastating fire at a New Year's event in a Bangkok nightclub are in intensive care, Thai hospital staff have said. At least 61 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the stampede to escape from the blaze which broke out at the Santika Club just after midnight. Among those injured was Alex Wargacki, 29, from London, who is now being treated for burns and smoke inhalation at Bangkok's private Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital. Another British man is also receiving care in the hospital's intensive care unit. A hospital spokesman said Mr Wargacki was on a respirator to help him breathe, adding: "We can't tell what damage there has been to the lungs yet. "He has some lung dysfunction from the toxic inhalation. We won't be able to tell how serious it is for another one or two days." A third injured Briton described the dramatic scenes as the fire suddenly spread from a stage to take hold of the club. Steven Hall, from South Wales, said some revellers appeared to think the flames were part of the show and hesitated to flee. He said: "I was just watching the show that was going on at the time. They had a DJ and a band. "All of a sudden I saw flames billowing from the top of the stage, then along the ceiling. "Then everybody converged towards the exit from the balconies, down the stairs area, and from the dancefloor. It was a bit like a stampede. "It did take a few moments to realise what was going on, because it seemed as though it was part of the performance. "But looking at the performers on stage, looking at the embers and what looked like sparks falling down onto the stage, they looked totally horrified. "And you could feel the heat instantly came down from the ceiling. "At the same time there were people rushing to get out, there were other people who seemed to be lacking a sense of urgency and didn't seem to realise what was going on." It is understood that the fourth Briton hurt in the incident received only very minor injuries. One report suggested that a 34-year-old British teacher may have died in the tragedy, but this was not confirmed. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said four Britons were injured but could not confirm whether any were killed.
ITN | January 1, 2009
