Yahoo TV

STORY: The fire broke out at about midnight on Wednesday at Grand Diamond City, a casino and hotel in the town of Poipet, according to Cambodian police. It was not immediately clear what started the blaze.

A key part of Cambodia's tourism industry, important for its economy, casinos in the capital of Phnom Penh and on the borders with Vietnam and Thailand are a draw for visitors from Asian nations that ban gambling.

Khieu Sopheak, a spokesperson of the interior ministry, said it was not clear how many people were still trapped in the Grand Diamond City casino and hotel in the town of Poipet, where the blaze started at around midnight.

Casinos in Poipet are hugely popular with short-term Thai visitors in particular, as gambling is illegal and unlicensed casinos operate underground in the neighboring country.