A massive fire at a bar in Thailand’s capital Bangkok late Sunday night killed at least 27 people and left dozens injured, officials said. Rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the scene after flames rapidly engulfed the venue, while people desperately tried to escape through thick smoke.

The fire broke out at the Na Ladprao pub in northern Bangkok around midnight. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after battling it for nearly 30 minutes.

Smoke believed to have caused most deaths

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the fire spread rapidly throughout the premises, reaching the ceiling within a short time.

According to the governor, smoke inhalation is believed to have been the primary cause of most fatalities. He confirmed that 27 people died in the incident, while 63 others were admitted to hospitals. Of those injured, 22 remain in critical condition.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the fire started.

Probe underway into possible blocked escape route

Officials said several victims were discovered near a fire exit, raising concerns that the escape route may have been obstructed during the emergency.

Authorities are also working to establish how many people were inside the venue when the fire broke out, as the exact occupancy remains unknown.

Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site and said investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the blaze.

Musician reported smoke before explosion

The prime minister said a musician performing at the pub told him that smoke was seen coming from a circuit breaker near the stage shortly before the electricity went out.

According to the account, an explosion was heard moments later, after which thick smoke quickly spread across the venue.

Officials also said many victims were found inside restrooms located at the rear of the pub.

Videos capture panic as flames engulf venue

Videos shared online by first responders showed flames consuming the entrance of the bar as thick black smoke billowed into the night sky. People were seen rushing out in an attempt to escape the rapidly spreading fire.

Photographs taken after firefighters extinguished the blaze revealed severe damage inside the venue, with charred interiors and burnt furniture.

Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai, who was performing nearby, said she rushed to the pub after learning about the fire because several members of her band were performing there.

She said one band member died in the blaze, three others were hospitalised and another person remains missing.

According to accounts shared by survivors, the venue went dark when the fire started after the power failed, making it difficult for people to find exits amid the dense smoke.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident, including whether any safety lapses contributed to the high number of casualties.

France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first footballer to score 20 World Cup goals before the age of 30 during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco in Boston.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half with his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament. The strike also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while reaching a milestone never previously achieved in World Cup history.

According to the available records, Messi is the only other player to have reached the 20-goal mark at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 21 goals in the competition.

Mbappe recovers after first-half penalty miss

The France skipper had an opportunity to score earlier in the match after winning a penalty following a challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him from the spot.

The penalty award sparked debate as television replays appeared to indicate that Mbappe had gone to ground before any contact from Mazraoui.

Despite the setback, Mbappe responded in the second half by opening the scoring and later set up France’s second goal, which was finished by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

France march into World Cup semi-finals

Mbappe was substituted in the 76th minute after appearing to experience some discomfort, with head coach Didier Deschamps deciding not to take any risks.

France’s victory sends Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on either Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain on course for a third successive World Cup final under Deschamps, who is overseeing his final World Cup campaign as France coach.

Morocco, playing without injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create enough attacking opportunities as France controlled the contest to seal another place in the last four.

Mbappe once again underlined his reputation as one of football’s leading goal-scorers, adding another historic achievement to his World Cup career.

Former India captain and ex-head coach Anil Kumble has strongly criticised India’s performance following their crushing 125-run defeat to England in the third T20I, describing the display as an “abject surrender” by the Shreyas Iyer-led side.

India were bowled out for just 76 while chasing, suffering one of their heaviest defeats in T20Is. The result also left them without a win in the five-match series at that stage, meaning they could only level the contest by winning the remaining two matches.

Reacting to the defeat, Kumble questioned the batting approach and said the players failed to show the patience required under pressure.

“It was an abject surrender by the Indian team. You don’t expect a world champion side to cave in like that,” Kumble said on JioHotStar.

He added that although the required run rate was above 10 an over, one of the batters needed to anchor the innings instead of everyone opting for an attacking approach.

“The Indian batters needed to show more patience and application, but everyone just tried to attack instead of absorbing the pressure. Yes, the required rate was over 10, but someone had to take responsibility and bat deep. Instead, they went the aggressive route and paid the price with a batting collapse,” he said.

Kumble questions batting order decision

The former India skipper also criticised the team management’s decision to promote Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube during the run chase.

According to Kumble, India should have backed one of their established batters instead of sending a lower-order player into a difficult situation.

“In T20 cricket, you put your best batters up front. Sending out Harshit Rana to bat ahead of a more complete batter like Shivam Dube was wrong. You can’t expect a number eight guy to win you a game by sending him to bat ahead of a proven guy. That’s not how things work in modern-day cricket,” he said.

Calls for consistency in bowling selection

Kumble also expressed concern over India’s frequent changes to the bowling attack, saying constant chopping and changing could affect players’ confidence.

He pointed out that Prasidh Krishna was dropped after one poor outing against Ireland, while Prince Yadav impressed with three wickets in the second T20I but still found himself in a side that lost the match.

“The Indian team has made too many changes to its lineup, and that needs to stop. The bowlers keep changing. Prasidh Krishna was dropped after one bad game against Ireland. Prince Yadav came in, bowled well, and picked three wickets in the second T20I, but India still lost that game. As a new captain, you need to stick with your five bowlers. Batters will score runs, but bowlers win you matches,” Kumble said.

He further stressed the importance of backing players through difficult phases rather than dropping them after isolated failures.

“When you pick players, you need to keep backing them. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life. They keep happening, but that doesn’t mean failures end up with you getting dropped from the squad,” he added.