image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
From one of the grandest and most luxurious casino hotels in Poipet area. Cambodia The Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino caught fire in the middle of the night on Dec. 28 until the morning of the next day. On this day, the situation was similar to the ruins of an abandoned city where the buildings on both sides of the hotel were burnt to the ground until the buildings were deformed and covered with black smoke.
After hundreds of firefighters and rescuers from the Thai coast came to help since the middle of the night on December 28, on Friday, December 30, volunteer firefighters and rescuers from the shore. Thailand conducts carpet search for dead bodies of victims with Cambodian military personnel until 7 more bodies were found
After completing the search mission all day until he was confident that no more bodies were found. Officers from the Thai side then withdrew from the area at the request of the Cambodian authorities. It is the completion of the assistance mission from the Thai side. And following this, the Cambodian authorities will continue to manage. But the decision has led Thai officials to worry that information regarding the 53 remaining missing people will not be available.
“Help is late”
From stills and videos posted by many people on social media during the raging fires. showed that at the beginning of the fire No one can control the fire at all.
Mr. Manas Tanheng, Grand Diamond Hotel Manager who was at the scene of the fire. told BBC Thai with a tired face that the cause was caused by a short circuit located above the kitchen on the 2nd floor of the hotel
“At first I thought I would take it. but the wind is very strong therefore began to coordinate assistance from firefighters both in the area and on the Thai side before being allowed to open a checkpoint to run across to the Poipet side It was a long hour,” Manas explained.
He explained that he coordinated to ask for help from the Thai side and the firefighters arrived at the Klong Luek Friendship Bridge area. in front of the immigration checkpoint of Poipet side But officials on the Thai side were not allowed to cross the border until nearly an hour following the fire started.
“The Cambodian fire brigade that arrived first was not equipped with equipment so the fire might not be contained. It actually took a long time for the fire to spread throughout the hotel. Because the fire slowly spread from the back of the hotel before engulfing the two buildings. We still think we can take it. But when the fire began to spread all over the place It didn’t take long this time before the entire building was on fire. When the firefighters saw the intensity of the fire did not dare to go in and extinguish the fire,” recalled Manat.
“The hotel itself has a fire extinguishing device. But everything happened so fast that the staff mightn’t handle it. Together with the top of the kitchen is a document storage room. therefore making it a good fuel.”
image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
“Billions and millions” of damage
After the two buildings of the Grand Diamond Hotel were burnt to great damage, Manas reveals that the entire building must be demolished. and start once more because of the remaining structures from the fire unable to do anything
“Roughly estimate the damage at over a thousand million baht. Our hotel has been open for 20 years but has never experienced anything bad like this. But in Poipet itself, there have been big fires in hotels 3 times before, but firemen from the Thai side came in faster. Therefore, the fire can be controlled faster.”
The fire that devastated the Grand Diamond Hotel lasted two days. But the tourism situation in Poipet seems almost unaffected. From the crossing point on the Thai side, we still see both Thai and foreign tourists. They were constantly dragging large bags across the border.
The Grand Diamond Hotel is located in front of the immigration checkpoint on the Poipet side. with the size of the building and its location This will be a must see spot for all tourists and walk through the hotel area before moving on to other hotels and casinos in Poipet.
image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
Even though the condition ahead is depressing But the passing tourists bustlingly stopped to take photos before heading to other hotels lining Poipet.
Although this fire caused 27 confirmed deaths until December 30, but the tourism condition of this border city did not seem to have deteriorated at all. Because as soon as he passed through the fire area, the casinos, restaurants, bars, karaoke and massage parlors that lined up on both sides of the road all competed to turn on colorful lights and energetically called customers to use the service.
image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
Another casino in Poipet decorated to welcome tourists from Thailand.
image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
Even in a big fire The tourism situation of this border town does not look sluggish at all.
Volunteer from Thailand
BBC Thai began to approach the area of the Grand Diamond Hotel. In the followingnoon of December 30 and saw rescue vehicles from various foundations, as well as hundreds of volunteer rescuers from many different places. At that time, they were preparing to withdraw their forces back to Thailand following the governor of Bantian Meanchey province. Say thank you to them for helping with this mission.
“When we reached the area, there was a moderate chaos. because this is not our home We also have to look at the law to see what we can do and what we can’t do. told BBC Thai
Volunteer team from Bangkok Somsak’s items reached the area around 7:00 a.m. on December 29.
Somsak explained that the main task on the first day was to bring the survivors out for first aid. They were taken to hospitals in the area, but were not permitted to enter the fire area. As for the mission on the second day following the fire had subsided. Staff from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation Por Teck Tung Foundation Cambodian rescue workers and Cambodian military personnel participated in the search for corpses that were still stranded in the building
“The state I saw inside was almost completely burnt. And not all of the rooms on the floor were burned down. But there was a thick cloud of smoke covering the area.”
Information from the Grand Diamond Fire Victims Coordination Center in Poipet, located before the border checkpoint on the Thai side. Stating that there are still 53 people missing and there are 27 cumulative confirmed deaths, with the latest 7 victims having just been sent from Poipet to the Thai side around 9:00 p.m. on December 30.
“The Incident Commander decided to give the area back to the Cambodian authorities. So we had to head back to Thailand. And this is the end of the mission, ”said Somsak.
Officers from the Thai Foundation withdrew from the Poipet area around 5:00 PM and returned the area to the Cambodian authorities as requested. Although this is one of the two missions outside of Thailand. But Somsak thinks that the mission was successfully completed with cooperation from all parties.
“I would like to thank the officers and volunteers from all sectors from both Cambodia and Thailand who gave their time and helped each other until the mission was successfully accomplished,” concluded Somsak.
image source, Wasawat Lukharang/BBC Thai
