Status: 12/29/2022 11:47 a.m
A fire broke out at a casino hotel in Cambodia. According to official figures, at least 19 people died. Around 50 were injured. The cause of the fire in the border region with Thailand is still unclear.
According to media reports, a fire at a casino hotel in north-west Cambodia has killed several people and injured dozens. According to regional authorities, there were at least 19 fatalities. Around 50 other people were injured.
At least ten dead in fire at casino hotel in north-west Cambodia
tagesschau24 09:00 a.m., 29.12.2022
360 rescue workers including eleven fire engines are deployed. According to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several injured people were taken to hospitals in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.
According to information from the broadcaster CNN, the fire in the “Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino” in Poipet on the border with neighboring Thailand apparently broke out on the first floor and then spread quickly. The flames would have surrounded the hotel and also spread to neighboring buildings, it was said.
The fire was brought under control following around nine hours. Some reports said there was a gas explosion in the kitchen area, but there was no official confirmation.
Hotel popular with Thai people
Video footage circulating online showed the hotel on fire and several people apparently jumping out of the burning building. According to media reports, foreign nationals were also in the building at the time of the fire. According to the local police chief, the casino has around 400 employees.
Firefighters are on duty in the Cambodian border town of Poipet following a fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City Hotel.
Image: AFP
“We are currently trying to recover the dead,” said Montri Khaosa-ard, a volunteer at the Thai organization Ruamkatanyu Foundation. “I don’t think there will be any survivors. The smoke is too strong.” Even the rescue workers might hardly breathe despite their equipment.
Thai broadcaster PBS reported that 50 people – including hotel staff and guests – were trapped in the building.
Ambulance from Thailand
According to the PBS report, the Cambodian authorities asked Thailand for help in fighting the blaze. The neighboring country then sent five fire engines and ten ambulances.
The hotel on the border is very popular with Thais because gambling is banned in their country. Located in northwestern Cambodia, Poipet is across from the city of Aranyaprathet in more affluent Thailand.