Three foreign tourists perished in a hotel fire in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, authorities announced on Monday.
The fire broke out Friday night on the fifth floor of the Ember Hotel, a six-story establishment located near the tourist district of Khao San, according to Bangkok’s fire and rescue services.
A Brazilian woman died at the scene, while two men, an American and a Ukrainian, succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, the same source reported. Seven other people remain hospitalized. Of the 75 people in the building, 34 had to be rescued from the roof.
“The fire alarm worked properly, and authorities responded quickly, but the fire spread very rapidly,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told the press. He has ordered an inspection of emergency exits in all hotels and entertainment venues in Bangkok.
Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Thailand recorded 32 million foreign tourist arrivals from January 1 to December 1, an increase of 28% year-on-year, generating 1.5 trillion baht ($44 billion) in revenue.
In 2019, before the pandemic, the number of foreign visitors reached a record of nearly 40 million.
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