29-4-2024 (PHNOM PENH) Security remained stringent around a military base in southwestern Cambodia yesterday, a day after a massive explosion claimed the lives of 20 soldiers, injuring several others and causing damage to nearby residences.
Authorities maintained a tight cordon to prevent media access to the site in Kompong Speu province.
Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed profound shock in a Facebook post on Saturday upon learning about the blast in Chbar Mon district of the province. The cause of the explosion remained unclear.
A local resident, Chim Sothea, recounted to AP that he trembled upon hearing the blast, as he had never experienced such a deafening explosion before.
“When the explosion happened, I was working on my house with some construction workers,” said Sothea. “Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, causing my house to shake and tiles on my roof to break. Fortunately, they fell outside and not inside the house.”
Images from the scene depicted severely damaged structures within the base, with at least one building having its roof blown off, while injured soldiers were seen receiving medical attention in a hospital.
Additional photographs revealed nearby residences with roofs punctured by holes.
Colonel Youeng Sokhon, an army officer at the scene, reported in a brief update to army chief Gen Mao Sophan on social media that four buildings – three for storage and one for work – were obliterated, with several military vehicles also sustaining damage. He further noted that 25 villagers’ homes were affected.
Witnesses recounted hearing a sharp sound before witnessing smoke rising from the direction of the army base, indicating an explosion at the arms depot. The military swiftly closed off access to the base, causing panic among villagers who sought safety.
Cambodia, like many countries in the region, has been grappling with an extended heatwave, with temperatures in the province where the blast occurred soaring to 39ºC on Saturday.
While elevated temperatures typically do not trigger ammunition detonations, they can compromise the stability of explosives over time, raising the risk of a single small explosion igniting a fire and triggering a chain reaction.
Kiripost, an online English-language news service, quoted villager Pheng Kimneang as stating that a significant explosion occurred around 2:30 pm, followed by smaller blasts for about another hour.
Hun Manet extended condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers and assured that the government would cover funeral expenses and provide compensation to both the deceased and the injured. A graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, Hun Manet served as army commander before assuming office last year, succeeding his father, Hun Sen.
