Phnom Penh: At least 10 people have died and 30 have been injured in a fire that has engulfed a Cambodian hotel and casino, police said on Thursday. Neighboring Thailand sent firetrucks to help put out the blaze in the busy border area.
Videos shared on social media purportedly showed people jumping out of windows at the Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel in the border town of Poipet after becoming trapped by the fire. The public broadcaster of Thailand reported that numerous Thais were trapped there.
On Thursday morning, the fire that started around midnight on Wednesday was still raging.
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According to Maj. Gen. Sithi Loh, the police chief in the province of Banteay Meanchey, at least 10 people have died and 30 more have been injured, some critically.
He claimed that 11 firetrucks and 360 emergency personnel had been dispatched to the scene, where rescue teams were searching for victims.
According to Sithi Loh, the cause of the fire is still unknown. 400 people were employed by the casino.
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According to Thai PBS, there were 50 Thai people trapped inside the casino complex, including both employees and patrons. According to the report, Thailand responded to a request from Cambodian authorities for assistance in putting out the fire by sending five firetrucks and ten rescue vans.
Poipet, a city in western Cambodia, is next to Aranyaprathet, a wealthier city in Thailand, and there is active cross-border trade and tourism.
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Thai PBS cited reports that other victims had to be transported to other hospitals because the Aranyaprathet Hospital's emergency ward was at capacity.