Mountain B pub owner sentenced to 5 years for deadly fire (video)
The owner of the renowned Mountain B nightclub, faces five years’ imprisonment following the fire in 2022 which claimed 26 lives and injured multiple partygoers and workers.
The Mountain B fire was one of the most widely reported incidents of 2022, garnering significant public attention. The incident took place at around 12.45am on August 5 of that year.
The blaze reportedly began on the ceiling above the stage during a live music performance and spread rapidly due to the presence of flammable acoustic foam.
A team of firefighters and more than 20 firefighting vehicles rushed to the scene to control the blaze. They struggled for more than two hours to bring the situation under control due to the amount of acoustic foam present.
There were more than 100 partygoers and workers inside the venue, but there was only one door through which they could escape. The other two doors, located in the staff area, were unusable, one was locked, while the other was blocked by a large object.
Of the 26 fatalities, 14 died at the scene, while the remaining victims succumbed to their injuries in hospital. One of the fatalities was the pub’s singer. According to a report on MGR Online last year, the families of the victims received 150,000 baht in compensation while the case was still under consideration in court.
Yesterday, March 18, the renowned lawyer who represented the victims, Ronnarong Kaewphet, revealed the latest developments in the case to the public. He stated that Pattaya Provincial Court handed down sentences to four suspects involved in the case, including:
- The pub owner, Pongsiri “Sia B” Panprasong
- Sia B’s wife, Anonnart “Fern” Panprasong
- Sia B’s father, Somyot “Sia Yot” Panprasong
- The pub’s electrician, whose name remains undisclosed
The suspects were charged with acting recklessly, causing deaths. Sia B was sentenced to five years and four months in prison and fined 133,000 baht. His wife and father each face 10 years in prison and a fine of 266,000 baht. The electrician was sentenced to five years and one month’s imprisonment and fined 125,000 baht.
Sia B initially faced 10 years in prison as same as his family members, but his confession reduced the imprisonment to five years.
The lawyer disclosed that compensation for each victim would vary, ranging from 2 to 5 million baht.
Ronnarong stated that the suspects still have the right to appeal to the court to reduce their sentences or compensation amounts.
He will need to examine the full details of the court’s consideration, over 150 pages long, to determine what further actions he and the victims may take.
While expressing his appreciation for the court’s sentence, Ronnarong emphasised that he would continue to pursue legal action against government officials involved in the case.
He stated that their recklessness in allowing the pub to operate without proper safety standards or a permit ultimately led to the tragic incident.
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