At Least 19 People Dead After Fire Destroys Casino in Cambodia, Dozens More Still Missing or Injured
Authorities say nearly two dozen people have died, and dozens more are missing or injured after a fire tore through a casino complex in Cambodia on Wednesday, per multiple reports.
At least 19 people were killed on Wednesday when the blaze broke out at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, according to CNN and BBC.
Sek Sokhom, director of Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey provincial information department, confirmed the current death toll on Thursday, BBC and The Guardian reported.
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Sokhom told CNN that the death toll is expected to rise as investigators comb through the destruction.
At least 73 people are believed to have been injured due to the fire, which broke out late Wednesday evening, deputy provincial police chief Bun Pheng told the Phnom Penh Post.
The outlet noted that the official number of injured remains unclear, with reports from officials and media "varying greatly."
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About 400 people were stranded on the roof of the building as the blaze burned around them, Nhem Phoeng, chief of administration at the Poipet Town Hall, told the Post.
According to The Guardian, a Thai regional government official said the fire eventually spread to a nearby 17-story building.
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Several videos of the blaze were shared online, including one from Pruk Chomcheewin Aui Song Sahai, secretary to the town's mayor, per the outlet. The six-minute clip shows flames consuming the building as first responders manage the scene.
As noted by BBC, other videos showed individuals jumping or falling from the building.
Peerapan Srisakorn, of the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, said two victims "died immediately" upon hitting the ground, and at least four others broke their legs, per CNN's report.
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The fire was finally extinguished just after 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to The Guardian.
Approximately 700 Thai citizens were rescued, CNN and BBC reported. Police and fire forces from Thailand assisted at the scene.
Most of the victims impacted by the fire are believed to be Thai, Pheng told the Post. Those who survived have "been sent to a Thai hospital in [Sa Kaeo province's] Aranyaprathet district," he added.
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Many victims may be in critical condition, said Banteay Meanchey province police chief Major General Sithi Loh, according to The Guardian.
The bodies of the victims killed in the blaze were taken about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to Trach Pagoda for assessment before they were returned home, per the Post.
Srisakorn said at least seven people were found in locked hotel rooms and appeared to have died from smoke inhalation, CNN reported.
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The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Somboon Kwan-uam, who works with a Thai rescue team known as the Poh Teck Tug Foundation, said weather may have helped spread the flames, per CNN's report.
"It was very windy last night," he explained. "The fire spread up quickly to the upper floors and then to every side, engulfing the whole building."
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According to the outlet, the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino is located alongside an international border checkpoint with Thailand in O'Chrov commune.
Many Thai nationals travel to Cambodia for gambling, which is illegal in Thailand, per BBC.
