The fire started on the first floor, but quickly spread along the carpets throughout the multi-story building.
In Southeast Asia, Cambodia, a dozen people have died in a fire at a casino hotel, according to the local police. The hotel is located on the border between Cambodia and Thailand.
According to a police report seen by news agency AFP, the fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City hotel in Poipet at half past twelve local time on Wednesday evening.
According to the report, around 10 people have died and 30 have been injured due to the incident. The Thai police, on the other hand, says according to the Reuters news agency that at least seven people have died and 53 have been injured in the fire.
In addition to customers, around 400 people are believed to have worked at the hotel.
Images obtained by AFP show flames engulfing the building and fire crews trying to bring the blaze under control. At the same time, the rescuers are trying to pick up people from the burning windowsill.
Local media say that there were also foreign citizens in the casino at the time of the fire. The nationalities of the dead and injured have not been disclosed.
According to a source inside the Thai Foreign Ministry, the ministry is working closely with local authorities. The injured are being transferred to hospitals in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.
– The authorities have tried to control the fire by, among other things, sending fire trucks from the Thai side, the source said.
The assistant of the Thai rescue organization says that the fire started on the first floor, but quickly spread along the carpets throughout the multi-story building.
There were bad fires in Southeast Asia earlier this year as well
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, and gambling in casinos is officially prohibited for its citizens.
There are numerous hotel casinos on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. Poipet is a popular holiday destination among Thai visitors. In Thailand, the vast majority of forms of gambling are prohibited by law.
There have been fires leading to several deaths in the area earlier this year as well. A fire broke out in a Thai nightclub in August, killing 26 people and injuring many others. In September, a fire broke out in a karaoke bar in Vietnam, where 32 people died due to the fire.
The region’s lax approach to health and safety regulations has been a concern for a long time. In particular, concerns have been raised regarding the numerous bars, nightclubs and event venues in the area.
In 2009, a huge fire broke out during a New Year’s Eve party at the Santika club in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The fire killed 67 people and injured more than 200.
Santika’s owner was sentenced to three years in prison because of the fire. The fire started during the rock band’s performance from fireworks.
Sources: AFP, Reuters