Poipet casino hotel fire
Disaster in Cambodia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 28 December 2022, a fire at a casino hotel in Poipet, Cambodia, killed at least 27 people.[1][3]
 | |
| Date | 28 December 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time | 11:30 pm[1] (ICT, UTC+07:00) |
| Location | |
| Cause | (preliminary) Overheated wires caused by New Year's Day decorations[2] |
| Deaths | 27 |
| Injuries | 112 |
Background
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
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 and 112 others were injured. Most of the dead died of smoke inhalation or were killed after jumping from high floors to escape the fire.[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]
