Cambodia casino fire: 10 killed, 50 injured at hotel

A least 10 people died and about 50 others were injured when a fire broke out in a hotel-casino in Cambodia. The provincial police chief for Banteay Meanchey, Major General Sithi Loh, confirmed the preliminary number of people who died, according to reports.

Cambodian police said that the fire at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, near the border with Thailand, started around 11:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT/UTC) on Wednesday night and was still going strong on Thursday morning.



A volunteer with the Thai rescue group Ruamkatanyu Foundation said that the fire started on the ground floor but quickly spread to the rest of the building. AFP reported that about 400 people, including some from other countries, were working at the venue.

Multiple videos posted online showed flames coming out of the Grand Diamond City hotel and casino in Poipet, a popular commuter town on the border with Thailand, as hundreds of rescue workers tried to put down the fire.

Footage showed that the huge complex was on fire, and it looked like some people were stuck inside the burning building while others jumped out of windows as rescuers tried to reach them.

A source from the Thai foreign ministry also said that they were working closely with local authorities and that the injured people were being taken to hospitals in the Thai province of Sa Kaeo. Thai public broadcaster PBS said that 50 Thai people, including hotel workers and customers, were stuck inside the casino complex.

So far, no one knows what caused the fire. The governor of Thailand's Sa Kaeo province, Parinya Phothisat, said that one of the people who died was a Thai citizen and that 32 Thais were in the hospital. Other reports say that a much higher number of people were hurt and taken to the hospital. The fire was put out, the authorities said, just after 11 a.m. local time on Thursday. Along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, there are a number of casinos that are also hotels, like the Grand Diamond City.

FAQ:

1. Why is Cambodia so well-known?
   Cambodia is known for its sunny beaches, lush natural attractions, tasty food, and the charming city of Phnom Penh, which is the capital.
2. What is Cambodia's biggest problem?
   Cambodia's youth are especially vulnerable because of poverty, physical and mental weaknesses, violence and abuse, and having to move.