The search for bodies in the wreckage of a burned-out casino hotel complex in western Cambodia concluded on Friday, December 30, with 26 people confirmed dead, Banteay Meanchey province Governor Um Reatrey told the Associated Press1. The fire at the Grand Diamond City casino and hotel in the town of Poipet, near the Thai border, also left 57 injured survivors after 39 hours of rescue and search operations1.
The blaze started late on Wednesday night and was extinguished more than 12 hours later on Thursday afternoon1. The search operation in the main 17-story building of the casino complex was completed1. Governor Um Reatrey said 1,009 Cambodian personnel and 221 from Thailand aided in the search efforts1.
The dead included 17 people from Thailand, one each from Nepal, Malaysia and China, and six bodies that were yet to be identified1. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office of Thailand's Sa Kaeo province, just across the border from Poipet, said there had been 27 deaths, 26 in Cambodia and one in a Thai hospital, and that of 112 people injured, 27 remained in hospitals and 85 had returned to their homes1. The two accounts of the death toll differ by one.
The Grand Diamond City casino complex has 500 employees and had 1,000 customers on Wednesday1. The fire may have been caused by New Year's holiday decorations that drew too much electricity, causing wires to overheat and burn1. The casino sits a short walk from the border checkpoint with Thailand and is popular with customers who make the four-hour drive from Bangkok1. Poipet has more than a dozen casinos, and casinos are illegal in Thailand1.
"The search for bodies in the wreckage of a burned-out casino hotel complex in western Cambodia has concluded with 26 people confirmed dead"
What it means for players
The fire struck a border casino town that draws much of its business from Thailand, where casinos are illegal, so the customers and staff affected were largely cross-border visitors and migrant workers rather than only Cambodian residents1. For anyone who gambles in Cambodia, the practical facts are that a large venue in Poipet is now out of operation and that the casualty figures were compiled by two different authorities whose totals do not match1. General guidance on gambling scams and safety in Asia, including how to report problems, is separate from this incident. Rules on who may gamble in Cambodia and the prohibition in Thailand are unchanged by the fire.
What happens next
No cause has been confirmed; the possible link to holiday decorations and overheated wiring was described as a possibility, not a finding1. No information has been reported on whether the complex will reopen, on any investigation into the fire, or on compensation for victims and employees.
