Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3204888/least-10-killed-cambodias-grand-diamond-city-casino-hotel-fire
Asia/ Southeast Asia

At least 25 killed in Cambodia hotel-casino fire, including Malaysian, Chinese, Thai nationals

  • Death toll could rise, officials say, following the blaze at the venue on the Cambodian-Thai border in Poipet
  • Video footage shared online showed rescuers attempting to pluck guests from a burning ledge
A major fire burns through the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet. Photo: AFP

At least 25 people were killed and many others feared dead in a fire at a Cambodian border casino, with photos from the scene showing people desperately huddled on ledges and perched on windowsills in a bid to escape the flames.

The blaze at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, on the Thai border, which started around midnight on Wednesday, was finally put out at 2pm on Thursday, said Sek Sokhom, head of Banteay Meanchey’s information department.

“The death toll now is around 25,” he said on Friday. Earlier, he said more than 60 people were injured and the toll could rise.

Massive fire engulfs Cambodian casino, people jump out of windows to escape

02:46

Massive fire engulfs Cambodian casino, people jump out of windows to escape

The dead and injured comprised people of several nationalities, including Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Cambodian, he said adding a local Buddhist temple was being used to receive their bodies.

An initial investigation found that the fire could have been caused by an overload due to New Year’s decorations drawing increased electricity, causing wires to overheat and burn, he added.

Sa Kaeo Governor Parinya Phothisat said another 60-odd people caught up in the conflagration had already been checked and cleared by Thai hospitals.

A major fire burns through the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet. Photo: AFP
A major fire burns through the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet. Photo: AFP

Banteay Meanchey police chief Sithi Loh said earlier 360 emergency personnel and 11 fire trucks had been sent to the scene of the fire. The casino employed about 400 workers.

“Right now, we are trying to bring the dead bodies from the building down ... Even we all [the rescue staff] have to wear proper gear when we go inside the building, otherwise we cannot breathe at all,” said Montri Khaosa-ard, a staff member of Thailand Ruamkatanyu Foundation, a social welfare organisation that sends volunteers to the sites of emergencies.

Images showed the building consumed by flames, with firefighters struggling to contain the blaze and rescuers attempting to pluck people from a burning ledge.

A man sits on a window ledge as a fire burns through the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino. Photo: AFP
A man sits on a window ledge as a fire burns through the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino. Photo: AFP

In one clip, an unidentified man is seen sitting on a window ledge as smoke billows out from behind him. In another, a group of people huddle on a ledge as flames draw near.

The Department of Fire Prevention, Extinguishing and Rescue posted that calls for help were heard from the 13th, 14th and 15th floors at 4am and hands were seen waving from windows as well as a mobile phone’s flashlight signalling from inside the complex.

“The fire was massive, and was inside the casino, so it was difficult for our water cannons to reach it,” observed a firefighter on the video posted online by the fire department. He said that was the reason the fire continued burning for such a long time.

A Thai foreign ministry source said they had been coordinating closely with local authorities, “including by sending in fire trucks from the Thai side”.

Governor Parinya said Thai hospitals had treated 79 Thai nationals, 30 Cambodians and eight Indonesians.

A volunteer with Thai rescue group the Ruamkatanyu Foundation said the blaze started on the first floor but spread quickly along the carpets, leaping up through the multistorey building.

Casinos are illegal in Thailand, but neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos host the lucrative industry. Cambodia has an especially active casino industry because the Southeast Asian country is also a popular tourist destination with convenient international connections.

The blaze follows two other fatal incidents in entertainment venues in neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam in 2022.

In August, a fire broke out at a Thai nightclub killing 26 people and injuring scores more.

And in September, a blaze broke out in southern Vietnam, killing 32 people in a karaoke bar.

A police vehicle under a destroyed part of the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino following a major fire in Poipet on Thursday. Photo: AFP
A police vehicle under a destroyed part of the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino following a major fire in Poipet on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Concerns have long been raised over the region’s lax attitude to health and safety regulations, particularly in its countless bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues.

A massive inferno erupted at a New Year’s Eve party at Bangkok’s swanky Santika club in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.

The owner of Santika was jailed for three years over the blaze, which began when fireworks were set off as a rock band played on stage.

Additional reporting by Associated Press