POIPET: Rescuers scoured the charred ruins of a Cambodian hotel and casino complex on Friday, warning they expected to find "many more" victims of a deadly fire that forced people to jump from windows. Hundreds of people are believed to have been inside the Grand Diamond City hotel casino, located within sight of Poipet town on the Thai border, when the blaze broke out around 11:30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT) Wednesday. "We believe there are many more bodies still trapped inside the compound," a Cambodian police officer at the site told AFP as rescuers began entering the burned complex. The casino is one of many in Poipet, a border town popular with Thais who face strict restrictions on gambling within the kingdom. Rescue effortsOn Thursday, Thai rescuers were forced to call off their efforts as night fell, with an officer from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation explaining conditions were too dangerous to continue.

Source: Manila Times December 31, 2022 03:33 UTC