The Grand Park Avenue Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 22 in Bangkok, which went up in flames last week killing two Russian tourists, reportedly did not have any fire exits or a smoke blocking system.
According to the initial findings of a Bangkok Council-assigned special committee led by Kitjapol Cherchoosakul, the side windows in the rooms where the Russian tourists died were locked and unable to release smoke, The Nation reported.
The committee is checking on fire safety in highrises around Bangkok. They also found that Fico Place, which caught fire as well lately, had no sprinkler system and had illegal modifications to add more office space, making it hard to find fire escapes.
The committee inspected the fire scene on the fifth floor of the Grand Park Avenue Hotel along with deputy city police chief Major-General Wichai Sangprapai and Klong Toei district director Wiparat Chaiyanukit.
Kitjapol said that the hotel’s modifications and lack of smoke blocking system had caused smoke to flow through pipes to the upper floors, making people choke.
The hotel is being charged with illegal modifications breaking the Building Control Act, as reported by the Khlong Toey District Office. After competing witness interviews, the police will call the hotel’s owner to hear charges next week.
