Cambodia casino fire: the death toll has increased and many are still missing

• Authorities in Cambodia report that at least 16 people have died.
• Others are still missing after a casino complex caught fire on Wednesday.
• The extent of the fire’s suppression is still unknown.

Authorities in Cambodia report that at least 16 people have died and numerous others are still missing after a casino complex caught fire on Wednesday.

At least 58 people, according to Nghor Mengshen, deputy governor of Banteay Meanchey province, are still missing after the fire at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, a city that borders Thailand.

Some victims had reportedly fallen to their deaths from the blazing building in a desperate attempt to escape, according to Thai rescuers who responded to emergency calls from Cambodian authorities.

According to Peerapan Srisakorn of the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, “two persons perished instantly when they hit the ground and about four to five (others) fractured their legs.”

Peerapan said to source that his crew alone observed 11 victims, including seven that were discovered in locked hotel rooms and had died from smoke inhalation.

He claimed that there were probably still a large number of guests trapped in their rooms, but it was extremely challenging for rescuers to scan the structure because it was still engulfed in heavy smoke.

Videos posted to the group’s Facebook page showed rescuers moving through smoke-filled hallways while wearing helmets and other safety gear.

According to the officials, some 700 Thai residents were saved and sent to Thai hospitals. Large bright amber flames and smoke plumes can be seen rising from the complex in photos taken at the scene.

Peerapan stated that he thought the fire may have begun in a restaurant on a lower floor before spreading to other areas of the complex. Some individuals “went to the rooftop, (thinking) the Cambodians could have a rescue crane to help,” he said.

He said that the fire’s ability to spread may have been aided by the weather.

“It was very windy last night,” he said. “The fire spread up quickly to the upper floors and then to every side, engulfing the whole building.”

He claimed to have seen a building lose power and its lights turn off. The extent of the fire’s suppression is still unknown.

Another Thai rescue team’s leader, Patcharin Thaenthong, claimed that when they arrived, they were unable to enter since the fire had already consumed most of the structures.

He claimed that while there was still a lot of smoke present, flames were no longer visible.

Maj. Gen. Sithi Loh, the provincial police chief of Banteay Meanchey, reported the deployment of 300 police officers, 11 fire engines, and several helicopters.

The source of the fire is still unknown, and the hotel’s elevated, the constrained layout had made it challenging to accurately gauge the extent of the fire, he said.

Poipet, a transportation center between Bangkok, Thailand, and Siem Reap, Cambodia, is well-known for its numerous casinos and is home to a sizable Thai population that works in the city’s gaming sector.

Although almost all kinds of gambling are prohibited in Thailand, many Thais nevertheless cross the border to participate in legal gambling, making it a very common vice in the nation.

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