Cambodia hotel fire: rescuers tell woman they arrived too late to save her parents
- Nunthida Kongreung says she was told her parents died from smoke inhalation, but ‘if help had come earlier they might have survived’
- As death toll rises and rescuers search for bodies amid ruins, grieving families recall loved ones trapped in building, struggle to cope with loss
When finally someone called back, it was a rescue worker who had found their bodies, slumped against each other in their hotel room on the 17th floor, where they died from smoke inhalation.
Her parents were among at least 27 people who died in the blaze at Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel, which also injured more than 100 people. At least 20 remain missing.
The cause of the fire, which broke out around midnight on Wednesday, is still unknown but officials suspect it may have been due to an electrical short circuit.
“The rescuers said my parents were not burned, but they choked from inhaling smoke. So, if help had come earlier they might have survived,” Nunthida, 36, said at a hospital on the Thai side of the border where many of the dead and injured were taken.
Authorities said they had to move slowly through the smouldering remains of the building in case it collapsed.
Dozens of rescue workers lined up outside the site on Friday, taking turns to go through the building room by room, while heavy machinery was used to clear blackened debris, video footage shared by a Thai volunteer rescue organisation Ruamkatanyu Foundation showed.
One survivor recounted seeing a light fixture throw off sparks that then caused flames to reach the ceiling, according to Thai broadcaster Channel 7.
“Then it started getting chaotic. After the fire hit the ceiling, I don’t think it was OK. It had gone on for half an hour and the fire trucks hadn’t arrived.
“Just after five minutes, there was smoke everywhere,” said Piyapol Sukkaew, a patron who was on the casino floor at the time.
02:46
Massive fire engulfs Cambodian casino, people jump out of windows to escape
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday expressed condolences for the victims and their families, and urged authorities to improve fire safety and response times.
Like most of the victims, Nunthida’s parents, Puttika and Udon, were Thai nationals. Both were retired and liked to travel to nearby places for holidays, she said.
As the death toll rose, grieving families struggled to comprehend their loss – such as Keerati Keawwat, whose 23-year-old son was in the building.
“He got stuck inside and could not get out,” the 55-year-old said from a makeshift information centre. “I can’t eat, and only slept for one hour,” she said. “I’m too overwhelmed.”
“Neung”, a 42-year-old casino worker who gave only his nickname, said he was sleeping in the complex and managed to make it out – but his father was not so lucky.
He said his father, who was gambling in the casino on Wednesday night, managed to help two women reach safety.
“But in helping them, he used a lot of energy and was choked by the smoke,” Neung said, describing how his father was then trapped in a room with others but was able to call until roughly 3am.
“I then lost connection with my dad, and lost hope,” he said. “Now, I only want to have his body.”
Those in Poipet employ Thai staff and are hugely popular with short-term Thai visitors as gambling is illegal across the border and unlicensed casinos operate underground there.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
