Sombre scenes from the CentralWorld shopping mall in Bangkok this morning which remained closed as it emerged that the two men killed in a fire last night.

It was reported they had stayed behind to battle the flames as their colleagues fled.

Sakchai Jarearnlap, 36, and Arthit Khamsai, 50, were on the eighth floor of the CentralWorld building when a fire ripped through backroom offices at 5:40 pm yesterday (April 10) evening.

As thousands of workers ran for the exits, the two men fearlessly headed towards the inferno and tried to quell the flames before firefighters arrived.

Harrowing final pictures show the men, in black trousers and white shirts, standing in the corridor helping to fight the fire moments before they were killed.

Tragically, they were the last ones to try to run away and they were trapped in a corridor before being forced back by thick black smoke into a side room with an open window.

Arthit is understood to have leapt from the eight floors first and died later in hospital.

While the younger man was seen desperately trying to cling onto the ledge to avoid being suffocated by the smoke. He lost his grip and plunged some 80ft to his death.

The victims, who both worked in the CentralWorld company’s financial department, were today hailed ‘’heroes’’ by staff.

While outside the building this morning there were sombre scenes as workers wore black and waited for police and fire crews to re-open the building.

Sombre scenes from the CentralWorld shopping mall in Bangkok this morning which remained closed as it emerged that the two men, inset, killed in a fire last night had stayed behind to battle the flames as their colleagues fled.

Sakchai Jarearnlap, 36, and Arthit Khamsai, 50, were on the eighth floor of the CentralWorld building when fire ripped through back room offices at 5:40pm yesterday (Wed) evening.

As thousands of workers ran for the exits, the two men fearlessly headed towards the inferno and tried to quell the flames before fire fighters arrived.

Harrowing final pictures show the men, in black trousers and white shirts, standing in the corridor helping to fight the fire moments before they were killed.

Tragically, they were the last ones to try to run away and they were trapped in a corridor before being forced back by thick black smoke into a side room with an open window.

Arthit is understood to have leapt from the eight floor first and died later in hospital.

While the younger man was seen desperately trying to cling onto the ledge to avoid being suffocated by the smoke. He lost his grip and plunged some 80ft to his death.

The victims, who both worked in the CentralWorld company’s financial department, were today hailed ‘’heroes’’ by staff.

While outside the building this morning there were sombre scenes as workers wore black and waited for police and fire crews to re-open the building.