Mountain B victims demand investigation of state officials

In the fallout of the Mountain B Pub fire tragedy, families of victims have filed charges against the club owners. But now they are expanding their litigation to include state officials who they say didn’t do their duty in allowing the pub to open illegally. The fire claimed the lives of 25 people in the months following the August 5 disaster.

Representatives of 31 relatives of victims filed a grievance to the Central Investigation Bureau through their complaint centre, with the help of a lawyer. They are calling on the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) to take action, submitting a letter addressed to the ACD commander and received by the sub-division 1 deputy chief. They say that it was a dereliction of duty for state officials to look the other way as the Mountain B Pub opened in Sattahip, the naval base district near Pattaya, without inspection or a proper license.

The lawyer representing the families said that so far no state officials have been investigated about their responsibilities or role leading up to the fire. He says officials did not inspect the Mountain B building to ensure that it had followed all laws and that there was proper fire prevention equipment. The families demanded action through their lawyer, adding the public was shocked by the details of the fire and justice must prevail.

The ACD assured that the case would be forwarded up the chain, according to Bangkok Post.

The father and son owners of the Mountain B Pub were arrested but immediately released on bail. They face charges of recklessness that caused death and injuries as well as lacking the required permits to open and operate an entertainment venue. Public prosecutors are handling those charges as the case works its way through the system.

This week the burned-out husk of the Mountain B Pub was demolished on the same day that the 25th victim died. Workers pulled down and removed the remaining mangled iron structure and debris. An empty field now sits in what was once the popular nightclub that went up in a ball of fire.