Owner of Thai nightclub where 64 died in New Year inferno to face criminal charges

By Mail Foreign Service
Updated: 13:43 EST, 5 January 2009

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The owner of a Thai nightclub where more than 60 people died in a horrific fire on New Year's Eve is to face criminal charges over the blaze.

Police have said Wisuth Setsawat, a Thai-Chinese businessman, who ran the Santika club will be charged with carelessness that led to the deaths of others.

He has already been charged with allowing in an underage customer, a 17-year-old high school student who was found among the 64 bodies hauled from the building.

Thai firefighters put off the remaining fire inside Santika nightclub where the fire broke out Thursday

Inferno: The remains of the Santika nightclub in Bangkok after it erupted in flames on New Year's Eve. More than 60 people died in the fire

Setsawat broke down in tears yesterday as he said sorry to relatives of the victims, before being questioned by police over the fire last Wednesday night.

Around 1,000 people were celebrating the start of 2009 when the fire broke out just after midnight.

Pictures of the party showed many were holding sparklers inside the building, prompting speculation either they or indoor fireworks caused the blaze.

It raced through the two-story building within minutes as party-goers struggled to escape through a single exit. The windows had been barred.

Toll: Lines of bodies were laid out in th street outside the Thai club

Police General Jongrak Jutanont, who revealed the charges, pledged: 'More investigations will follow to pinpoint everyone who is responsible for this.'

More than 100 witnesses have already been interviewed about the fire and at least 13 people questioned including Wisuth.

These included managers of his company and staff who had been hired to put on the countdown fireworks display in the club.

Jongrak said this was considered the probable cause of the fire.

The death toll from the blaze now stands at 64 after two of the injured died as a result of their burns.

Almost another 80 people are still being treated in hospital, including 17 foreigners. At least four Britons were injured.

Police Col. Nithi Banthuwong, who is in charge of identifying the dead, said nine severely burned and disfigured bodies had yet to be identified.

Charges: The club before the blaze. Police say its owner Wisuth Setsawat will be charged with carelessness that led to the deaths of others

Accompanied by his lawyer and friends, Wisuth reported to police yesterday afternoon after failing to show up at the station on Saturday.

He denied fleeing, saying he has suffered from smoke inhalation after the fire started.

'I'd like to apologize to the relatives for the dead people and the injured,' he said as he raised his palms in the traditional Thai prayer-like 'wai' gesture.

He broke into tears as he tried to continue talking to reporters.

The club's 31 business partners have decided to set up a fund to help those affected by the tragedy and some compensation had already been paid to relatives of 11 dead and injured victims, his lawyer said.

He added that Santika has not renewed its fire insurance, which expired four months ago, meaning he could not have been attempting to cash in on the policy.