SEE IT: Photos show fiery blaze at Cambodian casino that left at least 19 dead
Misty Severi
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The death toll in Cambodia’s hotel and casino fire rose to 19 as of Thursday morning, with dozens still missing and over 70 injured in the blaze.
A large fire engulfed the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, Cambodia, on Wednesday, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams look for victims trapped inside the complex. Some of the fatalities occurred because people jumped out of the windows of their rooms to escape the fire, according to witnesses.
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“Two people died immediately when they hit the ground, and around four to five [others] broke their legs,” Peerapan Srisakorn, from the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation, told CNN.
Some guests were trapped inside the hotel during the fire because the complex lost electricity and all the rooms and elevators were tied to one electrical system, meaning they could not escape. At least seven died from smoke inhalation, Peerapan said.
Approximately 300 police officers, 11 fire trucks, and some helicopters were deployed to the scene, according to Banteay Meanchey Provincial Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Sithi Loh. The city of Poipet borders Thailand, and approximately 700 Thai guests were rescued and sent to hospitals in Thailand. Gambling is illegal in Thailand, so many travel to Cambodia to gamble legally.
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The cause of the blaze is not yet known, Loh said, but the narrow and elevated layout of the hotel has made it more difficult to assess. However, some have speculated that the fire began in a restaurant on a lower floor. Windy conditions could have also helped the fire spread.
Rescue teams were asked to suspend operations on Thursday evening, but it is not clear whether the fire has been fully extinguished, according to Somboon Kwan-uam, a member of the Thai rescue team, Poh Teck Tung Foundation. Somboon said he has not seen any blaze but that there is still smoke billowing from the hotel and casino, according to CNN.
