Teresa Iovieno
December 29, 2022
Nineteen people were killed and about a dozen others remain missing after a fire broke out at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet on Wednesday. In addition to 70 individuals injured in the blaze of the fire, the death toll continues to rise as the fire spreads from the first floor of the casino to the upper levels.
Courtesy Peerapan Srisakorn
As rescuers search for the missing victims, the number of deaths may change. Wednesday night, rescue workers in Thailand responded to emergency calls informing them that victims were jumping from the burning building to survive. 300 police officers and 11 fire trucks have been deployed to the scene.
A member of the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, Peerapan Srisakorn told us, "Two people died immediately when they hit the ground, and four to five others broke their legs.” It was terrifying to see people hitting the ground and frantically trying to escape the fire.
Officials say the building lost power after the fire causing the elevators to stop functioning and making the rooms unable to be unlocked. As a result of smoke inhalation, seven people were found dead in hotel rooms. Peerapan Srisakorn and his colleagues saw eleven bodies.
The intense smoke engulfed the entire building, making entry difficult for rescue workers despite their wearing protective gear and masks however, rescuers were able to save 700 people.
As of now, there is no information on what may have caused the fire at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino. On Thursday, rescue teams were instructed to suspend their operations. There are still a dozen people trapped in the building, and the conditions are horrific.
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