Fires gut 24 homes in capital

A pair of fires ripped through two Phnom Penh districts in less than 12 hours over Tuesday evening and early yesterday morning, completely destroying 24 houses.

According to Net Vuntha, Phnom Penh police deputy director in charge of fire and explosives, 15 of the destroyed houses were located near the railroad tracks in Tuol Kork district’s Boeung Kak I commune. The other nine dwellings were in Boeung Keng Kang II commune, Chamkarmorn district.

“The reasons behind the blazes have not been figured out yet, and the authorities are looking for them,” he said. Pech Rady, who lost his home in the Boeung Kak blaze, said yesterday that authorities had told him and others that the fire started with an electrical malfunction, though rumours of arson were also circulating in the neighbourhood.

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