“The fire broke out at 5 p.m. on July 2 on the fifth floor of the ‘6969’ nightclub in Khan Toul Kork district, Phnom Penh. According to our preliminary figures, six Chinese, two Vietnamese and one Cambodian citizen died in the incident,” the Khmer Times quoted a statement from the Cambodian rescue agency as saying.

Nightclub in Phnom Penh on fire. Photo: Khmer Times

Colonel Prohm Yorn, Director of the Cambodian Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Office, said that although firefighters quickly arrived at the scene after receiving reports from local residents, they were unable to save the victims because the fire was on a high floor of the building.

“The large amount of smoke created by the fire also made our rescue work difficult. According to the initial investigation, an electrical short circuit was the cause of the fire,” Mr. Yorn said.

Firefighters at the scene. Photo: Khmer Times
Firefighters search for survivors. Photo: Khmer Times
Photo: Khmer Times
Photo: Khmer Times
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