Malaysian woman among Cambodian casino fire victims

 

The blaze at the hotel-casino in Poipet, Cambodia on Wednesday night killed 26 people and was caused by an electrical short circuit. (AP pic)

BANGKOK: A Malaysian woman was among those who perished in a casino fire in Cambodia.

The 73-year-old woman and her Thai husband died in the devastating fire that broke out at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, at 11.30pm (local time) on Wednesday.

The woman, whose name has been withheld, and her 70-year-old husband had travelled to Poipet to attend the wedding of a friend’s daughter.

M Ramesh, a relative of the deceased, said family members tried to contact the duo upon hearing news of the blaze.

Ramesh also said the woman’s son went to hospitals and temples to find the couple but was unsuccessful.

He added that on Friday, family members requested for the search and rescue team to look at their hotel room.

“They were found inside their locked hotel room. Both had died from smoke inhalation,” he told Bernama.

Ramesh thanked the Malaysian embassy in Phnom Penh and Bangkok for their assistance in repatriating the body.

The woman was laid to rest at the Thai Islam Cemetery in Bangkok on Saturday evening. The burial was attended by family members, relatives and close friends.

The final rites were conducted at the Jawa mosque.

The blaze on Wednesday killed at least 26 people, including 17 Thais, the Malaysian and one Nepali.

Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management deputy chairman Kun Kim was quoted by AFP as saying that the accident was caused by an electrical short circuit. - FMT