Bangkok  - A fire that broke out shortly after midnight Thursday at a popular Bangkok pub killed at least 59 revellers, including some foreigners, and injured 212, police said.

The fire, apparently sparked by a pyrotechnic show to bring in the New Year, broke out about 12:20 am (1720 GMT Wednesday) at the popular Santika Club, which was packed with some 1,000 revellers.

Police Colonel Suphin Sapphuang said 59 people had been confirmed dead - 53 at the scene and six who succumbed to their injuries later in hospital, the Bangkok Post online news service reported.

Another 212 people were injured, and taken to 14 Bangkok hospitals for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.

Foreigners were among the dead and injured although positive identification was made difficult by the lack of passports on the victims, police said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who visited the scene of the fire Thursday morning, announced that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had set up a centre for coordinating assistance for people injured by the fire.

Police commissioner-general Patcharawat Wongsuwan said arson was unlikely but police would gather evidence to determine the main cause of the incident.

Police have speculated that the fire was sparked by a fireworks display on the third floor of the club shortly after midnight.

"There were some pyrotechnics and it appears that they started the blaze," said Police Lieutenant-Colonel Prawit Kantwol.

Most died in the rush to get out of the pub's main door, either from suffocation or being trampled to death, although there were three other exits in the building.

Ironically, the pub's New Year's party promotion gimmick was "Goodbye Santika," as the owner was planning to move to a new venue. (dpa)