Phnom Penh, Cambodia
DailyExpertNews
—
Victims jumped to their deaths from burning buildings in a frantic attempt to escape a deadly blaze that engulfed a casino in Cambodia on Wednesday, Thai rescuers said.
The rescuers said at least 11 people were killed but the death toll is expected to rise from the fire at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, which borders Thailand.
Patcharin Thaenthong, leader of a Thai rescue team responding to emergency calls from Cambodian authorities, said some of the victims appeared to have died of smoke inhalation. “When we arrived, we couldn’t get in because the fire had already taken over (most of) the buildings,” he said.
About 700 Thai citizens have been rescued and sent to hospitals in Thailand, according to authorities.
Photos from the crime scene show huge bright amber flames and plumes of smoke rising from the complex.
Peerapan Srisakorn, of the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, said he saw people jump from burning buildings.
“Two people died immediately when they hit the ground and about four to five (others) broke their legs,” he said.
Peerapan said he saw at least nine more bodies in the buildings.
He suspects the fire started in a downstairs restaurant before spreading to other parts of the premises. “Some people ran to the roof, (thinking) that maybe the Cambodians had a rescue crane to help – but they didn’t,” he said.
Weather conditions may have contributed to the spread of the fire, he added.
“It was very windy last night,” he says. “The fire quickly spread to the upper floors and then in all directions, engulfing the entire building.”
He said he also saw a building lose electricity and the lights go out.
It is still unclear whether the fire has been completely extinguished.
Patcharin, the rescue leader, said he could still see large amounts of smoke, but no longer saw any flames.
Banteay Meanchey Provincial Police Commissioner, Major General Sithi Loh said 300 police officers, 11 fire trucks and a number of helicopters had been deployed.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, and the hotel’s narrow and elevated layout made it difficult to fully assess the status of the blaze, he said.
A transport hub between Siem Reap in Cambodia and the Thai capital Bangkok, Poipet is known for its many casinos.
Almost all forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, although it remains a popular vice in the country with many Thais crossing the border to gamble legally.
