Bangkok - Thai authorities on Friday were investigating the legal status of the Santika Pub where a fire broke out at a New Year's Eve party, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 240.

As of Friday, forensic specialists had been able to issue death certificates for only 29 of the fire's victims, including one Singaporean, police and metropolitan authorities said.

At least 54 of the injured were listed in critical condition, and it was not clear how many people had succumbed to their injuries in hospital overnight.

Chulalongkorn Hospital performed emergency surgery on Japanese national Keiichi Wada, 25, to drain water from his abdomen, according to The Nation online news service. Wada suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body.

Survivors of the tragedy said the fire started less than 30 minutes after midnight, shortly after a pyrotechnical display on the second floor of the Santika Pub which had billed its New Year's Eve bash as "Goodbye Santika," as the lease on the premise was due to expire on January 1.

Police have not yet been able to contact the pub's owner, but a preliminary investigation has raised questions about the legal status of the pub's operations.

An unidentified source at the Metropolitan Police Bureau told the Bangkok Post newspaper that Santika Pub, one of Bangkok's most popular hangouts for well-to-do young Thais and expat foreigners, had been registered as a "night-time food shop" instead of an entertainment venue, which required it to close at midnight.

Deputy Police Commissioner-General Police General Jongrak Juthanon claimed Friday that the police had been opposed to the pub's operations but had been overruled by an injunction of the Administrative Court.

The pub had only one main exit and one fire extinguisher, raising serious questions about the building's safety standards and those of other entertainment venues in the capital.

Most of the casualties were caused by a mad rush to get out through the main door as the fire quickly spread through the pub, causing a blackout that added to the chaos.

It took firefighters about two hours to get the fire under control Thursday morning, leaving the building gutted. (dpa)