Thousands homeless in Cambodia fire
A massive fire has destroyed the homes of
thousands of illegal slum dwellers in the
Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
Officials said there were reports of several
deaths, but numbers have not been confirmed.
Police believe the fire
was started when a
natural gas container
exploded inside a
kitchen.
The fire spread quickly
through the ramshackle
wood and thatch
buildings, destroying up to 2,000 homes.
"A lot of people could not escape," said
26-year-old Khan Rom, who fled with her two
children and a few personal belongings.
The deputy police chief of Phnom Penh, Kong
Saran, said more than 1,000 homes were
destroyed in the fire, which broke out at 0840
GMT (1540 local time) on Monday.
"The place is also cramped with dwellings
which intensified the fire and cut off access to
fire trucks," he said. "We don't know how it
started but we are going to investigate and
find out."
Devastated
Deputy governor for the Chamkarmon district,
Kuoch Chamroeun, said district and commune
officials have asked city officials for food and
shelter assistance.
The area was still on
fire as night fell, but
appeared to be under
control. Attempts to
sift through the
wreckage would not
begin until Tuesday
morning, officials said.
The destroyed area,
close to the Bassac
River, is home to a
large ethnic
Vietnamese community.
It is the second fire
this year to destroy a squatter community in
the area. A fire in May made more than 500
people homeless.
They were re-housed in a new community 15
kilometres (10 miles) outside the city, and the
site of the fire was made into a park.
The city's authorities have been trying to
persuade all squatters to leave the area, which
is intended for redevelopment.
BBC News - November 26, 2001.
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