Ten Thai victims of Poipet blaze ready for relatives to retrieve
The bodies of 10 victims of the massive casino blaze in Poipet identified as Thai nationals by forensic officials are now at the emergency help centre set up at Aranyaprathet district office, said Major Anuphong Moonbanjob, commander of the 13th Ranger Regiment, which has been supervising the transport of victims.
Relatives of the victims have been asked to visit the help centre to confirm the identity of the deceased, he said. The centre is located next to the Star Plaza shopping mall in Aranyaprathet subdistrict. Once family members identify the victims they can bring them home for funeral services, Anuphong said.
The 12-hour blaze started about 30 minutes before midnight on Wednesday at the Thai-owned casino and hotel.
The number of dead rose to 25 this morning. Most of those whose nationality has been identified are Thai.
The casino-hotel complex is located near the Ban Klong Luk checkpoint in Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet district and is owned by fugitive Thai politician Vatana Asavahame.
Sa Kaeo authorities also reported that a Thai victim who had earlier been sent to a hospital in the province for treatment had died, raising the number of victims identified as Thai to 11.
The search for victims continued on Friday as rescue workers slowly made their way through the 20-floor hotel. Safety concerns are slowing the search as the hotel’s structure was badly damaged in the blaze, officials said.
