Death toll from Bangkok music bar fire rises to 30

Bangok, Jul 14 (AP) The death toll from a huge fire in a Bangkok music bar has increased to 30, officials said Tuesday. More than 70 people remain hospitalised, with 24 of them in critical condition, according to Bangkok city officials. The blaze at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar, the city's deadliest in 17 years, broke out late Sunday in a northern part of the Thai capital. Firefighters needed half an hour to bring it under control. The bar, which in Thai calls itself a brewery or beer hall, claimed to accommodate as many as 600 customers. It was not clear how many were present Sunday night. An investigation into the cause of the fire and whether the bar was following safety regulations is ongoing. Most of the people who were killed were found trapped in windowless bathrooms where they may have sought to escape the flames, police said. (AP) GSP