| |
BANGKOK : Thai police said on Sunday they will press charges against one of the main shareholders of a Bangkok nightclub where 62 revellers died on New Year's Day after a fire tore through the upscale venue.
Officials have issued summons for 13 directors of the Santika club in the Thai capital, and on Sunday major shareholder Visuk Setsawat met police, with Thai television footage showing him tearfully expressing regret.
"I feel very sorry for what had happened. I want to apologise to victims' family members," he said on Channel Three station.
Colonel Kajornsak Pansakorn, one of the investigating officers, told AFP that Visuk would be charged with carelessness resulting in death and admitting under-age people to the club.
He said police will press the charges when the paperwork on the summons is wrapped up but added that the police investigation into the exact cause of the fire was ongoing.
The emergency services reporting centre said the 62nd victim was a woman who succumbed to her burns on Saturday. Singapore's foreign affairs ministry has said three of its nationals were killed.
Of the 229 people injured when the blaze engulfed the club, 32 are in intensive care fighting for their lives, the emergency services said.
Early police reports suggested the fire might have been caused by a fireworks display during the countdown to 2009 but officials are also investigating wiring in the club and sparklers handed out to guests.
Police say Santika had been refused an operating licence since 2004 because of safety concerns but it remained legally open while appealing that decision. - AFP/ms
|
