The Santika Club fire - Watthana, Bangkok, Thailand - 66 killed 222 injured Thursday 1 January 2009

66 people were killed and another 222 injured when fire swept through the nightclub during the New Year's celebration as a band called "Burn", was playing. The fire broke out at 12:35 am. and citizens of thirteen countries were among the injured.
No official cause has been announced. Suggested causes include outdoor fireworks that set the roof on fire, sparklers lighted inside the nightclub. and an electrical explosion. One witness stated there were no pyrotechnics in the club, while another reported seeing flames on the roof.
Video recordings of the indoor stage event, including the countdown to midnight, show that only ordinary holiday sparklers were used. Moreover, the fire became visible indoors approximately 10 minutes after midnight. This strongly suggests the fire originated inside the ceiling space or on the roof, allowing it to grow in intensity while going unnoticed for some time.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva visited the site and said, "The question is why they let someone take fireworks inside the pub and light them up."
Two parallel investigations were launched, one by the police and one by the Ministry of Justice. The police blamed the lead singer of "Burn" for setting off fireworks on stage, and the club owner for recklessness and for illegally admitting people under the age of 19. The Ministry of Justice investigation discovered the nightclub was officially registered as a private residence and therefore had never received a fire safety inspection. It was also located in a zone where nightclubs are prohibited and the city architect's signature approving the club's design had been forged. Between 2004 and 2006, police had filed 47 charges against the club's owners for illegal operation. After that, however, no charges were filed. Suspicions of corruption were raised when one of the co-owners was identified as a senior police officer. When the Ministry of Justice investigation was turned over to the police, sources close to the Minister reported he was furious.