A massive fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City Casino hotel-casino in Poipet, Cambodia leading to rising death tolls and severe injuries. Rescue teams struggled to reach people inside the building due to dense smoke.
The hotel-casino employs 400 workers and many Thai nationals were visiting at the time. Thai employees are among the dead and injured. Thai PBS reported that 50 Thais are on the list of people trapped inside the complex.
It is reported that the fire broke out at about 11.30 pm local time on Wednesday when a gas tank exploded on the casino side of the complex. The fire continued into Thursday morning. At 11.16 am Cambodian police said the fire was finally under control.
Sek Sokhom, the Director of Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey provincial information department warned that the figures could be higher while announcing, “There are 19 dead so far as we see bodies and bones”.
The property is owned by fugitive Thai politician Vatana Asavahame. He is a former Thai cabinet minister who fled the country in 2008 before being convicted about the Klong Dan wastewater treatment scandal. It is one of the biggest corruption cases in Thailand’s history
Poipet is a key crossing point between the two countries. It is also popular for its casinos, which many Thai nationals visit as gambling is mostly illegal in Thailand.
Fire in casino in poipet pic.twitter.com/UDd3k5f4yI
— Mech Dara (@MechDara1) December 29, 2022
The building is on the Thai border. Many injured were sent to Thailand for treatment. Some were sent to a hospital in the nearby town of Aranyaprathet.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
Thailand has extended its help by sending fire trucks and rescue vans to help ease this fatal situation.
Photo Credit: Twitter