Seven dead, dozens trapped in Cambodia building collapse

[rooster59]

Seven dead, dozens trapped in Cambodia building collapse

By Prak Chan Thul

 

A rescue team carries a wounded worker at a collapsed building in Sihanoukville, Cambodia June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

 

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Seven people were killed when an under-construction building in Cambodia collapsed early on Saturday, an official said, as rescuers struggled to reach dozens of missing workers feared trapped under a mountain of twisted steel and rubble.

 

Twenty-two people were injured in the collapse of the seven-storey Chinese-owned project in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, west of the capital Phnom Penh.

 

M<ore than 30 people were still missing and feared trapped inside, said Oar Saroeun, spokesman for the local province of Preah Sihanouk.

 

"The steel structure has collapsed on itself and we don't dare move it," Saroeun told Reuters. "We can only wait and listen for any signs of life...

 

"We are afraid more of it will collapse on them.... We will work through the night to remove the steel."

 

Photos of the scene shared on social media showed groups of rescuers working their way through a crumpled heap of steel girders and concrete.

 

Preah Sihanouk province and its largest town, Sihanoukville, has seen a rush of investment in recent years from China, especially into the casino, property and tourism sectors.

 

Home to Cambodia's largest port and a Chinese Special Economic Zone connected to Beijing's Belt and Road initiative, the town is also undergoing a construction boom to serve those growing crowds of Chinese tourists and investors.

 

The collapsed building is Chinese-owned, according to Saroeun.

 

Police have detained four people, including three construction supervisors, for questioning in relation to the accident, according to a statement from the province.

 

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Writing by James Pearson; ; editing by John Stonestreet)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-22

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[Burma Bill]

My sincere condolences to the Khmer victims and their families - may they RIP. As for the greedy Chinese workers, owners and construction company, I say no more! Sihanoukville was once a fishing village that became a very nice seaside resort until the Chinese arrived. Much of the local culture and buildings were destroyed to accommodate a monstrous concrete jungle of money grabbing hotels and casinos. Like the "Phoenix" tragedy off Phuket, I hope this will deter the Chinese gambling punters/tourists from going there.

[phantomfiddler]

Could this be karma in action ????

[sawadeeken]

Maybe 15 or 20 years ago I recall hearing that in Korat in Thailand a hotel or maybe shopping complex about 7 story, as I recall, collapsed on the bottom floor, upper levels still intact, so it totally flattened the 1st floor and killed all the people on the first floor........ About a week afterward it was in the news that they found that the building was originally issued a building permit and designed for either a 3 or 4 floor building and then without stregning the lower levels they added the extra 3 or 4 levels................

TIT (That is Thailand).......... So very likely that Thai/Chinese were involved in that mess)

Seems very likely that the Chinese (always liking to cut costs 'cheap Charlies') may have done the same thing in Cambodia

[khwaibah]

Death toll mounts to 24, including four females

Khmer Times Share:    

 

Prime Minister Hun Sen inspects the incident site of the seven- storey building collapse in Sihanoukville. KT/ Chor Sokunthea

The deadly collapse of the under construction seven story building in Preak Sihanouville continued to climb when rescues pulled out the bodies of another dead workers last night.

This brings the death toll thus far at 6am Monday, is 24, four of whom were women while the number of injured remained at 24, of which two were women.’

Meanwhile Prime Minister Hun Sen had arrived at the scene of the deadly construction disaster to personally look into search rescue and retrieval efforts.

. .

 

Work was still going on around the clock to look for more victims as it is believed that up to 60 people may have been in the building, living there while the upper floors were being constructed.

Though this is a dangerous practice, it nevertheless happens in many small to medium construction projects around the country.

Provincial authorities said that up to 50 percent of the collapsed building’s rubbles have been cleared and dread on what they find as the work continued into the night.

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50617052/death-toll-mounts-to-24-including-four-females/

 

 

[Burma Bill]

quote:-

"Prime Minister Hun Sen had arrived at the scene of the deadly construction disaster"

I sincerely hope he takes STRONG action against the Chinese responsible, but I bet not - they are his paymasters!