At least 19 people have died and dozens have been injured in a fire at a casino complex in the Cambodian town of Poipet, a border resort destination with venues that serve many players from neighbouring Thailand, where casino gambling is illegal.
The Cambodian authorities said the fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City casino hotel at about 11.30pm local time on Wednesday (December 28). They said about 70 people were injured in the blaze. However, the exact number of people injured is unclear – with the numbers given by local officials and quoted by the media varying greatly.
Police said around 400 people were believed to be working at the venue when the blaze broke out. The local authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, as a number of people was still unaccounted for.
Video footage shared online showed rescuers attempting to pluck guests from a burning ledge. Thai emergency teams worked alongside Cambodian ones to rescue people and control the fire, according to reports.
It is thought the blaze started on the first floor of the complex, but spread quickly through the multistorey building.
There are numerous casino hotels clustered along the Cambodia side of the border with Thailand, among them Poipet, a popular holiday destination for visitors from the neighbouring kingdom. Cambodian citizens are not by law allowed to gamble at the country’s casinos.
(Updated at 9.08am, Dec 30)
