I reckon most of you heard about
the fire incident in Bangkok which
took place about an hour after the New Year’s Eve countdown, which was all over
the news. I must say it was a close call indeed as some of the friends who were
with me Bangkok were in that very building when
the incident took place. The other half of the group (myself included) were too
tired to party so shortly after the countdown, we were already tucked in bed
and all set for la-la-land. So fortunate…! 

Although the deaths from that
fire included a Singaporean, Japanese and several Aussies, no Malaysians were
reported to be affected or injured, thank God. The friends who were in the
building when the fire broke out said that it was a terrifying experience indeed.
According to them, it started off by live wires causing sparks (which they
initially thought were part of the New Year countdown pyro show) that set off a
blaze which engulfed the entire building within minutes. Reports from yesterday
morning stated that the charred remains of 59 bodies were found and yet to be
identified while many others were injured, either from burns and cuts or from
being stepped on by the stampede of people that were rushing towards the exit. 

What’s most daunting is the fact
that it was a non-smoking club and there were at least 2 large exits from the
building. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be caught in a fire in a
club like Velvet where only one
small main exit exists, not discounting the fact that a slight mishandling of a
cigarette could set off a fire, especially when alcohol bottles are all around
you. Think about it.