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full screen Soldiers in front of the destroyed casino building on Friday. Photo: Heng Sinith/AP/TT
An electrical fault caused the massive fire at the Grand Diamond City casino and hotel in Poipet, Cambodia, near the border with Thailand, on Wednesday night, according to the country’s disaster management agency.
At least 29 people died in the fire in the multi-storey building, where bodies were found in stairwells and in rooms that rescue workers did not reach in time.
The authority admits that the rescue effort took too long, and refers to the complex layout of the building.
Pictures and rescue workers testify that people jumped from windows to avoid the flames.
17 of the dead are Thai. According to Thai authorities, another 50 people are being treated in hospital, and the condition of 13 of these is critical.