Authorities say death toll at Grand Diamond City complex in Poipet, near the border with Thailand, is likely to increase
Guests jumped to their deaths from the roof of a hotel and casino in Thailand on Thursday as a huge blaze engulfed the building, killing at least 19 people.
Local authorities warned that the death toll at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, near the border with Thailand, was likely to increase as they searched the structure for dozens of people who remained missing.
“Two people died immediately when they hit the ground and around four to five broke their legs,” said Peerapan Srisakorn, of Thailand’s Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, which responded to a call for help from the Cambodian authorities.
Videos posted on social media showed people falling from a roof after being trapped by fierce flames. Photos showed people desperately huddled on ledges and perched on windowsills as they tried to escape the flames and smoke.
In a video posted by Cambodia’s firefighting agency, onlookers could be heard shouting “Please help rescue them. Pump water... pump water.”
The fire department said calls for help were heard from the 13th, 14th and 15th floors at 4am. People were seen waving from windows for help and signalling with mobile phone torches from inside the complex.
At least 70 people were injured in the inferno. Cambodian, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, and Vietnamese citizens were among the victims, and a local Buddhist temple was being used to receive their bodies.
Sek Sokhom, the head of the Banteay Meanchey provincial information department, told Cambodia’s VOD news service that a helicopter had rescued 50 people but could not land on some parts of the roof because of antennas and other obstructions.
He said the hotel’s electric door system for rooms and elevators may have trapped people as electricity went out when the fire started at around midnight on Wednesday, adding: “When there was a blackout, the elevator got stuck, rooms were shut and we cannot enter.
“When we can open the rooms, there will be more deaths [confirmed].”
The cause of the blaze is not yet known, although early reports suggest it may have been an electrical fire and the authorities are investigating whether New Year’s decorations may have been responsible. It broke out close to midnight on Wednesday and was finally put out at 2pm on Thursday.
Major General Sithi Loh, the provincial police chief, said 360 emergency personnel and 11 fire engines were sent to the scene. The casino employed about 400 people.
Cambodian police said hundreds of military, police and volunteer rescue personnel had joined the rescue effort, which was suspended at nightfall because of fears the building might collapse.