A fire tore through a Thai nightclub early Friday killing at least 13 people and injuring 40, a rescue services official said.

Iran PressAsia: The fire, which broke out at about 1:00 a.m. local time (1800 GMT Thursday), has been kept under control and the injured people have been hospitalized, the Bangkok Post reported.

Investigation into the cause of the accident was underway,  said Wisarut Petcharat, a rescue worker at the scene with the Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation.

The victims, including nine males and four females, were all Thai nationals, Wisarut said.

He said the club was a one-story building and an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway.

Concerns have long been raised about Thailand's lax approach to health and safety regulations, particularly in its countless bars and nightclubs.

A massive inferno erupted at a New Year's Eve party at Bangkok's swanky Santika club in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.

More recently, four people were killed in a fire caused by an electrical fault at a club on the holiday island of Phuket, a magnet for foreign tourists, in 2012.

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