At least five people have died after a crane collapsed at a building site in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet City on Wednesday afternoon, according to local police.
Provincial police chief Ath Khem told VOD that initial estimates put the death toll at five, with four others injured.
The casualties were all people who lived near the building site, Khem said, but declined to give further details.
Photos posted by Khem on Facebook show a crane fallen completely on its side, with the boom crushing a metal roof and brick wall. An ambulance was also at the scene.
Provincial governor Um Reatrey and other officials had arrived at the site to oversee operations on Wednesday, according to the provincial administration’s Facebook page.
In January, 36 people were killed and 23 injured when a building collapsed in Kep province, putting a spotlight on lax building standards across the country.
In Banteay Meanchey that month, nearly 200 building sites were found to be under construction without a permit or violating building standards.
“We’ll check techniques, the quality of the construction and legal regulations. If they fall short of any among the three, we will close them down,” said provincial land management department director Eng Narith at the time.
(Translated and edited from the original article on VOD Khmer)
