Restaurant under renovation damaged in blaze

A blaze yesterday destroyed part of an entertainment club being renovated into a restaurant along Monireth Blvd in Group 47, village 11, Tuol Svay Prey II commune, Boeng Keng district.

Major General Neth Vantha, director of the Interior Ministry’s fire department, told Khmer Times yesterday that the fire was caused during welding work on the metal roof.

“The fire completely damaged the roof of the restaurant building, made of galvanized iron, measuring 15 meters by 20 meters,” he said.

Maj Gen Vantha said there 26 fire trucks used 81 cubic litres of water to extinguish the blaze.

He added 14 fire trucks were from the municipal fire police department, three from the Ministry of Interior, three from Koh Pich, three from Chroy Changvar district and three were despatched from the Olympia Mall.

“I wish to call on all people in Phnom Penh and the provinces to be very careful in case of fire and also to switch off the electricity before leaving their premises,” Maj Gen Vantha added.

The Fire and Rescue Police Department on Facebook identified the restaurant owner as Chinese national Lim Kian Wei, 35. It added that there was no death or injury in the blaze.

Brigadier General Chheang Phannara, municipal fire police department deputy chief, said although the fire broke out on the roof of the building, the authorities managed to bring it fully under control.

According to a National Police report, there were nearly 500 fires across the country during the first half of the year, marking a steady rise in such incidents over the past three years.

The fires took the lives of 11 people, injured 28 others and caused extensive damage to 514 houses and another 225 structures.

The primary causes of the fires were electrical malfunction, accounting for 41 percent of the cases, and neglected incense sticks and candles which resulted in 39 percent of the total.

According to the Fire Department, there were 429 fire incidents in the Kingdom during the first six months of last year, equivalent to an increase by 78 cases from the same period in 2018. Last year’s cases resulted in 56 casualties, 10 of whom died, and damaged 418 properties.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50766132/restaurant-under-renovation-damaged-in-blaze/