Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

Huge fire in Poipet hotel-casino

Fire engulfs the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet. (Photo: Na Tua Koo Phai Aran)

At least 10 people have died in a fire in a Cambodian hotel-casino on the border of Thailand, Cambodian police said on Thursday.

A provisional Cambodian police report seen by AFP said the fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet about 11.30pm local time on Wednesday.

"About 10 people died and 30 [were] people injured," the report said.

It was reported the fire began when a gas tank exploded on the casino side of the complex.

The blaze continued into Thursday morning.

Reuters reported at 11.16am that Cambodian police said the fire was finally under control.

Emergency crews from the provincial and national government were sent to assist. Crews were reported to have reached the upper floors and were using crowbars to gain access to individual rooms.

Witnesses said they heard a series of explosions from the ground-floor kitchen of the complex, which is opposite Rong Kluea market in Aranyaprathet district of Thailand's Sa Kaeo province.

At least one Thai was among those killed, with others injured, Sa Kaeo governor Parinya Phothisa said.

Dozens of people, many of them Thai employees and tourists, were reported trapped both inside and on the rooftop of the 17-storey complex, which included casinos on its first three floors and more than 100 luxury hotel rooms.

Fire crews and helicopters from Thailand were deployed to help fight the blaze and evacuate the premises

Injured people were being rushed to hospitals in Aranyaprathet district. It was reported that emergency units were already overloaded in the border district.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.