CentralWorld: Deadly blaze at Bangkok shopping complex
- Published
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the shopping centre and hotel
At least two people have died after a fire broke out at a major Bangkok shopping centre complex on Wednesday.
The fire, which has now been brought under control, reportedly started on the building's eighth floor at about 17:40 local time (10:40 GMT).
At least one of those who died had fallen from the building, local reports and witnesses say.
Videos on social media showed hundreds of people leaving the large shopping complex.
Other clips showed emergency services struggling to get through gridlocked rush-hour traffic to get to the scene.
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At least 17 people have also been also injured, the Erawan Medical Emergency centre told AFP.
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed.
The complex also contains the 57-floor Centara Grand hotel and convention centre
Bangkok's governor, Aswin Kwanmuang, told a Wednesday night news conference that an investigation into the blaze would start on Thursday.
He also said the building would remain closed until deemed safe by officials.
On their Facebook page, CentralWorld said (in Thai) that the fire was brought under control about 30 minutes after it started.
The shopping centre's website describes it as the largest lifestyle shopping destination in Bangkok.
It is also said to be the 11th largest complex of its kind in the world.