Fire violent incident at a casino in Poipet City, near the Thai border, Cambodia killing 26 people including dozens of foreign nationals (foreigners). The cause of the fire has also been revealed.
Reported by AFP on Saturday (31/12/2022), the fire occurred on Wednesday (28/12) evening at around 11.30pm local time. The fire engulfed the hotel-casino complex which is located in a multi-story building.
Images from the scene of the fire show a dramatic situation, with rescuers claiming that some people jumped from above to escape the flames.
Cambodian authorities reveal the cause of the fire
Cambodian authorities said the fire was caused by an electrical short. He explained this in a written note, Saturday (12/31/2022).
“The accident was caused by an electrical short circuit,” Vice Chairman of the Cambodian National Commission for Disaster Management, Kun Kim, said in a statement.
26 people killed
Kun Kim also confirmed that at least 26 people died as a result of the fire. There were dozens of foreign nationals among the dead, which consisted of 17 Thai, one Malaysian and one Nepalese national.
“Several people were burned to death, many more died from lack of oxygen, and several people were burned and died on the way out,” Kun Kim said in a statement.
He said it took authorities too long to put out the blaze, blaming the layout of the hotel-casino complex and a lack of rescue equipment.
Cambodian emergency teams halted search and rescue operations on Friday evening (30/12) local time, with Kun Kim confirming that all areas of the hotel-casino complex had been searched.
Indonesian citizens were trapped in the fire, details on the following page
