Deadly Explosion At Cambodian Military Base Was An Accident, Ministers Say

The Cambodian Defense Ministry reported that a “technical issue” involving obsolete munitions being relocated was the cause of the massive explosion at a military post in southwest Cambodia that claimed the lives of twenty soldiers and injured several others.

According to the army, the explosion on Saturday was most likely an accident brought on by personnel who mishandled ammunition that had deteriorated.

The defense ministry released a statement after a claim made by an opposition leader living abroad that the explosion was an attack.

Exiled opposition leader; Sam Rainsy stated in a statement on his Facebook page the day following the explosion that an armed group of anti-government dissidents detonated the explosion, although he provided no proof to back up his claims.y

Despite recent remarks on social media by “a group of extremists,” the Ministry of Defense said it wished to let the world know that the inquiry had found the incident to have been an accident.

It issued a warning that spreading false information about the explosion could result in legal action.

Twenty soldiers were killed instantly in the blast, which happened when soldiers were moving ammunition into a storage facility, according to Army spokeswoman Maj Gen Mao Phalla.

He stated that 11 more persons, including soldiers and local residents, had sustained minor injuries from rubble from the damaged building—not from shrapnel.

In addition to destroying four base buildings and military vehicles, the explosion in Kampong Speu province also caused damage to villagers’ homes.