Tiger survivor describes the horror inside

PHUKET: Of those injured in the Tiger Disco fire of yesterday morning, only two remain in hospital.

Saturday 18 August 2012, 04:44PM

Nudeang Pramangkata in hospital.

Frenchman Benjamin Tallanotte is in Bangkok Hospital (see story here), his scorched throat too swollen to allow him to talk about the terrifying scene in the disco.

But the other, Nudeang Pramangkata, 42, spoke today about the horrific scenes in the inferno that was the Tiger Disco.

“I had just arrived at the bar in the disco. I was just drinking my first bottle of beer when I heard two sounds like bombs going off, one after the other.

“At first I really didn’t think much about it. But then I saw flames rippling along the air-conditioning ducts – the foam insulation was on fire. A load of it fell onto a man below.

“I’ll never forget it. There was no power and no lights, and no warning, and the air was full of the stink of toxic fumes from burning plastic.

“Somebody tried to use a fire extinguisher but the flames were already too high and moving too fast.

“The whole place was filled with smoke and everyone was screaming and running for the exits.

“I fell down but some foreigner picked me up and held me up.

“I saw another foreign man burning and screaming. The sounds he was making were really horrible. But by that time everyone was completely panicked, so no one helped him.

“I ran, but I fell down again, and other people stepped on me as they rushed to escape.

“I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital.”

Nudaeng was diagnosed initially as suffering from “dizziness and hyperventilation”. She has been X-rayed and has no broken ribs, but the bruising is extensive.

“I still hurt on my left side where I was stepped on. I can’t breathe easily. It hurts every time I take a breath.”

But she is alive.