Malaysian woman among Cambodia casino fire's casualties

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

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

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 the find the couple at their hotel room.

"They were found locked inside their hotel room. Both were found dead from smoke inhalation," he told Bernama.

Ramesh thanked the Malaysian embassy in Phnom Penh and Bangkok for the assistance to repatriate the body.

The woman was laid to rest at the Thai Islam Cemetery in Bangkok on Saturday 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.