At least 20 people have lost their lives and 100 others have been injured as a result of an intense fire that broke out in a casino hotel in the city of Poipet, in the northwest of Cambodia.
This has been reported by the Cambodian Department of Information, detailing that the country’s search and rescue operations team continues the search for possible survivors as well as more victims.
The authorities have not yet given an official version of how the fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino, although it could have exploded after the explosion of a gas cylinder.
According to witnesses, as a result of the explosion some people jumped into the void. As a result, many of them died or were seriously injured. Meanwhile, another group of people climbed onto the roof of the building and were evacuated with the help of emergency services helicopters.
On the other hand, a group of employees and customers also reportedly had difficulty getting to safety, as the fire spread rapidly from the floors below, blocking the exit, reports ‘Kohsant Epheah Daily’.
«A sustained effort has been employed for many hours by our brave officers and their Thai counterparts to bring this horrendous inferno under control,» Poipet Police Chief Prum Piseth has stressed to Cambodian daily ‘The Phnom Penh Post’.
«This was the biggest fire ever experienced by the province, or even the whole kingdom, as far as I know, with almost a hundred casualties so far», between dead and injured», said the officer.
Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Samdech Krala Hom Sar and Deputy Prime Minister Ke Kim Yam have been on the scene.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
