HK man among eight killed in Cambodia nightclub blaze

A 46-year-old man from Hong Kong was among eight people killed in a nightclub fire in the Cambodian capital on Saturday.

According to reports from Cambodian media, the victims also included five Chinese nationals - a woman from Hunan, 29, and four men from Guangdong, aged 23 to 30 - as well as two Vietnamese citizens.

Cambodian police said the blaze was reported at around 5pm local time at the 6969 nightclub in downtown Phnom Penh.

Although firefighters arrived at the scene swiftly, toxic smoke released by the fire and the victims being trapped on the top floor had hindered rescue efforts, said colonel Prohm Yorn, director of the fire prevention and rescue police office.

Preliminary investigations suggested that an electrical short circuit might be the cause of the fire that burned for three hours.

It is understood that the owner of the nightclub is a Chinese national.

All eight people killed were construction workers who were renovating the interior of the building when the fire erupted. Cambodian police took away eight individuals for investigation after the incident, including construction workers and security guards, according to Xinhua News Agency.

James Hong Ming-sang, a travel writer, reminded Hong Kong travelers to stay alert when visiting developing countries.

"I've been to Phnom Penh several times and many night clubs and gambling houses emerge because of Chinese investors," Hong told The Standard.

"Fires happen frequently and that may be due to a lack of consciousness for the rule of law," he said.

Hong suggested visitors get familiar with escape routes when entering enclosed spaces, as well as common fire evacuation skills.

"When [there's a fire], you must react quickly whether to head to the upper floors or lower floors and remember to avoid smoky areas," he said. "If you find yourself trapped, stay in the room and seal the door with wet towels."

The Immigration Department said it has learned about the situation through the Office of Commission of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong and the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia. No requests for assistance from Hong Kong residents had been received by yesterday.

The department said it would keep updated about the incident's development.

In December last year, a fire ripped through a casino on the Thai-Cambodian border - killing 26 and injuring more than 100 people - forcing patrons to jump from ledges and windows to escape the flames.

Cambodia currently is not on the list of outbound travel alerts issued by the Security Bureau, which contains three levels of threat. "Black" indicates severe threat and travelers should avoid all travel. "Red" indicates significant threat, under which travelers should adjust plans and avoid non-essential travel. And travelers are advised to monitor the situation and exercise caution when visiting regions tagged "yellow."