At least 25 dead in fire at Cambodian casino

The fire took place at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino on December 28.

Cambodia.- At least 25 people were killed in a fire at Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in the Cambodian town of Poipet on December 28. Officials said that around 500 people were in the building at the time.

Kun Kim, the deputy chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management, told news agency AFP on Saturday that the accident was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Banteay Meanchey province governor Um Reatrey told The Associated Press that after 39 hours of rescue and search operations, 57 injured survivors had been found. Seventeen of the dead were from Thailand, one each from Nepal, Malaysia and China, and six bodies were yet to be identified, he said.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office of Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, just across the border from Poipet, said there had been 27 deaths – 26 in Cambodia and one in a Thai hospital. It said of the 112 people injured, 27 remained in hospitals and 85 had returned to their homes.

Some 300 police officers, 11 fire trucks and a number of helicopters were deployed to the scene. The fire was controlled after six hours. An initial investigation found that the fire may have been caused by new year’s holiday decorations that drew too much electricity, causing wires to overheat and burn, local authorities said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his condolences and said the incident showed that all tall buildings in the country must have sufficient firefighting equipment. He also gave thanks to all the people who worked in the rescue effort, including those from Thailand.

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