At least 19 people have died and 74 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.
Among the 74 injured, 23 are in serious condition, reported Bun Pheng, deputy chief of police of Banteay Meanchey, the province bordering Thailand where the incident took place. The officer said that most of the victims were of Thai nationality and that they have been taken to a hospital in his country.
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)
