• A fire swept through a nightclub in Chonburi province, south-east Thailand.
• At least 13 people dead and 41 others injured.
• Rescuers believe flammable acoustic foam on the club’s walls may have accelerated the rate of fire.

A fire swept through a nightclub in Chonburi province, south-eastern Thailand, killing at least 13 people and injuring 41 others.

According to police, the fire started at 1:00 a.m. local time on Friday (18:00 GMT Thursday) at the Mountain B nightspot in Sattahip district.

Footage circulating online showed people screaming as they fled the club, some with their clothes on fire.

According to rescuers, flammable material on the walls may have exacerbated the fire.

The venue was a single-story complex measuring 4,800 square metres in Chonburi, a province located 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of Bangkok.

According to local reports, firefighters fought the fire for more than two hours before it was brought under control.

The bodies of the deceased, four of whom were women and nine of whom were men, were discovered mostly near the entrance and in the restrooms. Others were discovered close to the DJ booth.

So far, all of the victims are thought to be Thai nationals.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but officials from the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Rescue Foundation believe flammable acoustic foam on the clubs’ walls may have accelerated the rate at which the fire tore through the venue.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday that families of victims would receive government assistance, and he urged entertainment venues across the country to install proper emergency exits and safety measures.

It’s not the first time a fire has erupted in a Thai nightclub.

In 2009, more than 60 people were killed in Bangkok when a fire broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day at the Santika Club. In 2011, two men, including the club’s owner, were sentenced to prison.

In 2012, a fire at a nightclub in Phuket, a popular Thai tourist destination, killed four people and injured about a dozen others.

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