KATHMANDU: Security was heightened around a military base in southwestern Cambodia on Sunday following a massive explosion that claimed the lives of 20 soldiers, injured others, and caused damage to nearby homes. Guards were deployed to keep the media away from the site located in Kompong Speu province. Hun Manet, in a Facebook post on Saturday, expressed deep shock upon receiving news of the blast in the province's Chbar Mon district. The cause of the explosion is still unclear.
A nearby resident, Chim Sothea, recounted feeling tremors from the blast, describing it as the most powerful explosion he had ever experienced. He was repairing his house with construction workers when the explosion occurred, causing his house to shake and roof tiles to break. Fortunately, the tiles fell outside the house and did not cause any injuries. Images from the scene showed severely damaged buildings on the base, with soldiers being treated in a hospital and nearby houses sustaining roof damage.
Colonel Youeng Sokhon, an army officer at the site, reported that four buildings, including storage facilities and a work facility, were destroyed, and several military vehicles were damaged. Additionally, 25 villagers' homes were affected. Photos of the base depicted the damaged structures in an open field, with no civilian structures nearby. Another villager, identified as Sophal, recounted hearing a sharp sound followed by smoke rising from the army base, prompting him to seek shelter with his family.
The military immediately closed the road to the base, causing panic among villagers who sought safety. The high temperatures in the region, reaching 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, could have contributed to the explosion. While high temperatures typically do not trigger ammunition detonation, they can degrade explosives' stability over time, increasing the risk of accidental explosions. Kiripost, an online news service, quoted a villager who witnessed the explosion and subsequent smaller blasts over the following hour.
The incident has drawn attention to the global issue of poorly stored or mishandled munitions, which can result in unplanned explosions causing casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure. In a show of condolence, Hun Manet pledged government support for the affected soldiers' families, including covering funeral expenses and providing compensation. As a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the current prime minister, Hun Manet has a background in military leadership and is familiar with handling such crises. U.S. Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy also extended condolences to the families of the soldiers affected by the explosion.
.jpeg)
