Nirakar Pandey of Birtamode, Jhapa was one of the 25 persons who died following a massive fire at a casino hotel complex in western Cambodia Wednesday midnight.
Pandey, 40, jumped from the 12th floor to save his life as the fire spread upward to his floor with no hope of rescue. He did not survive the impact of his fall and the fire was brought under control almost 12 hours after it started.
The Grand Diamond City casino complex has 500 employees, and it had 1,000 customers Wednesday, the Associated Press has reported citing a spokesperson for Cambodia’s National Committee for Disaster Management.
Pandey had gone there with his friends, according to his family.
He had a video conversation with his family in Nepal for around one and a half hours before taking the desperate plunge.
He talked with his father Agni Pandey, mother wife, nine-year-old son, elder brother and kid brothers as the fire continued to raze in the casino hotel complex.
His family has provided video recording of his conversation with son Arman Subha Pandey in the final hours. Sirens can be heard blaring downstairs in the recording while his room is gradually engulfed in smoke.
“Sanu (little one), the apple of my eye, I love you very much. Papa always loves you,” he tells his son. “The biggest thing is you have to be a good human being son! You should not cheat or fraud anyone.”
