Funviralpark At least 16 people have been killed, 50 injured and others trapped in a massive fire that lasted more than 12 hours at a Cambodian hotel casino.
A video was posted on social media of people jumping out of windows caught in a fire at the Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel in the border town of Poipet. Thailand’s public broadcaster reported that dozens of Thais were trapped inside.
In a video posted by the Cambodian Fire Department, onlookers could be heard shouting pleas to rescue people trapped on the roof of a hotel complex. It was shown that the man of the city was lying down.
“Oh, help them. Pump the water… Pump the water,” cried the onlookers.
The Fire Protection, Fire and Rescue Department said at 4:00 a.m. they heard calls for help from the 13th, 14th, and 15th floors, waving from windows, and cell phone flashlights sending signals from inside the complex. I posted that I was seen there.
The blaze, which started around midnight Wednesday, was still burning Thursday morning.
“The fire was massive and inside the casino, making it difficult for water cannons to reach,” a firefighter observed in a video posted online by the fire department. He said that’s why the fire kept burning around noon.
Banteay Meanchey province governor Um Retry told Cambodia’s Fresh News website that 11 people had died. The provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Sichiro, said early in the morning that there were 10 dead and 30 wounded, some seriously injured. Tolls seemed likely to rise as authorities searched for victims and those with serious injuries died from their injuries.
According to Sithi Loh, 360 paramedics and 11 fire engines were dispatched to the scene. He said the cause of the fire was not yet known. The casino employed about 400 workers.
Firefighters will spray water on the fire Thursday morning.
People gather outside windows to escape the fire.
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A rescue worker carries an injured person in a hotel casino.
Smoke rises from the Grand Diamond City Hotel Casino.
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“We are currently trying to remove the bodies from the building. You have to, or you won’t be able to breathe at all.” Emergency scene.
Thailand’s PBS reported that 50 Thais, both staff and customers, were trapped inside the casino complex. Cambodian authorities have sent five fire engines and 10 rescue vehicles from Thailand to request assistance in fighting the fire, it said.
Poipet, in western Cambodia, is across the street from the wealthier Thai city of Aranyaprathet and has a thriving cross-border trade and tourism scene.
Thailand’s PBS cited reports that the emergency ward at Aranyaprathet Hospital was full and other victims had to be transferred to other hospitals.
Casinos are illegal in Thailand, but neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos host lucrative industries. It has a particularly active casino industry.
The Great Diamond City Casino is located just meters (yards) from the Thai border crossing and is popular with customers who are four hours’ drive from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.
