When a fatal fire erupted at a Bangkok music bar, a local contact called photographer Sakchai Lalit and helped the AP to be one of the first international media organizations on the scene. Lalit alerted Southeast Asia News Director Haruka Nuga, who mobilized Bangkok reporter Jintamas Saksornchai to anchor the text story while Lalit and Nuga went to the scene. Nuga, going live with her iPhone camera, arrived just as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was addressing media and requested that he brief the press in English, which allowed the output desk to quickly file comments confirming 27 deaths at the time. Lalit and Nuga captured images of victims’ bodies wrapped in cloth outside the bar, which visually conveyed the scale of the incident ahead of competitors. Nuga provided global audiences with a first look inside the charred remains of the venue and was joined by Saksornchai, interviewing people at the scene. Our on-the-scene images and live feeds were featured prominently across major international TV networks, digital platforms and top-tier news sites, demonstrating the immediate editorial necessity of our multi-format reporting.
Related articles
