| Date | 28 December 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time | 11:30 pm[1] (ICT, UTC+07:00) |
| Location | Poipet, Cambodia |
| Cause | (preliminary) Overheated wires caused by New Year's Day decorations[2] |
| Deaths | 27 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 112 |
On 28 December 2022, a fire at a casino hotel in Poipet, Cambodia, killed at least 27 people.[1][3]
Background
[edit]Poipet is a border town in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia which is about 200 m (660 ft) from the Thai border, just opposite of the Thai city of Aranyaprathet.[3][4] Under Cambodian law gambling is prohibited for citizens, but is allowed for foreigners. Because most types of gambling are also illegal in Thailand,[1] Poipet is popular with Thai gamblers.[1] The Grand Diamond City is a casino hotel which backs onto the Thai border. The business employs 400 staff.[1] The casino was owned by fugitive Thai politician Vatana Asavahame, aged 86 at the time of the fire, who was sentenced in absentia to three years in jail for land-procurement fraud.[5]
Fire
[edit]At 23:30 on 28 December 2022, a fire broke out in the Grand Diamond City when hundreds of people were in the building.[1] At least 27 people were killed (most of them as a result of smoke inhalation or falling)[further explanation needed] and 112 others were injured.[3] Seventeen of the dead were Thai nationals, and one each were Nepalese, Malaysian, and Chinese.[3] At least 27 of the injured were treated in hospitals.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Cambodia casino fire: At least 19 dead on Thai border
- ^ "More victims recovered from Cambodia casino hotel fire". NBC News. 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b c d e Senith, Heng; Cheang, Sopheng (2022-12-30). "26 bodies found as search ends at Cambodian hotel fire site". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "El incendio de un casino en Camboya provoca al menos 25 muertos" (in Spanish). 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "Fugitive Thai politician owned Cambodian casino where fire killed 10". The Nation Thailand. 29 December 2022.