A Nepali national is among the 25 killed in a Cambodian hotel and casino complex fire that erupted in the wee hours of Thursday.
Identified as permanent citizen of Jhapa, Nirakar Pandey, 40, died after he jumped out of the Grand Diamond City venue, located in the town of Poipet within sight of the Thai border.
Preparations are underway to send Pandey’s body back to Nepal through the Thailand-based Nepal Embassy, informed the embassy.
Having stayed locked inside the room for long, he held several video calls with his family members in Nepal before deciding to jump off the complex.
The video of Pandey talking to his family, including his son, has gone viral in social media in Nepal. In his video conversation with son, Pandey urges his son to always love and respect all those around him while assuring the little one of bountiful love of his father.
Pandey had been trapped in the 12th floor of the complex, whose automated doors were locked due to power supply failure emanating from the fire.
Though Pandey's family asked him to patiently wait for rescue to arrive, he could not make it before help reached.
The fire razed for more than 12 hours in the casino complex.
Rescue effort at the fire site was underway since Thursday and death toll is on the rise as more details are awaited.
Meanwhile, Nepal Embassy officials in Thailand are trying to ascertain more Nepali casualties at the incident site in coordination with local and Thai authorities.
