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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 (10.30pm Malaysia time) on Wednesday.
The woman, whose name has been withheld, and her 70-year-old husband 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 yesterday, family members requested for the search-and-rescue team to find the couple at their hotel room.
“They were found locked inside their hotel room. Both were found dead from smoke inhalation,” he said.
Ramesh thanked the Malaysian embassies in Phnom Penh and Bangkok for assisting in repatriating the body.
The woman was laid to rest at the Thai Islam Cemetery in Bangkok this evening, and 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 – 17 Thais, one Malaysian, and one Nepali.
Deputy chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management, Kun Kim, was quoted by AFP as saying that the accident was caused by an electrical short circuit. – Bernama, December 31, 2022