Cambodia border casino fire kills 7, injures 53 - Thai authorities

 A fire at a casino complex at Cambodia’s border with Thailand has killed at least seven people, with 53 wounded and eight people missing, provincial authorities in neighbouring Thailand said on Thursday.

The statement from Sa Kaeo province, where Thai casualties have been treated, made no mention of the nationalities.

The fire broke out at about midnight on Wednesday at the Grand Diamond City Casino in the town of Poipet, according to Cambodian authorities, who have made no mention of casualties. Poipet’s casinos are a draw for mainly Thai gamblers.

The police chief in Banteay Meanchey province said 360 emergency personnel and 11 firetrucks were sent to the scene and rescue teams were looking for victims.

Sithi Loh said the cause of the blaze was not yet known. The casino employed about 400 workers.

Thai PBS reported that 50 Thais, both staff and customers, were trapped inside the casino complex. It reported that Cambodian authorities requested help to deal with the fire from Thailand, which sent five firetrucks and 10 rescue vans.

Poipet in western Cambodia is opposite the more affluent Thai city of Aranyaprathet, and there is busy cross-border trade and tourism.