A rampaging buffalo injured four people – one of them seriously – in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district after it escaped from a slaughterhouse yesterday, police said.

Svay Pak commune police chief Hem Kemsan said that at about 7:40am, the buffalo – which had been sprayed with a blue marking on its back – was spotted looking aggressive and confused along Street 598.

Kemsan named the victims as Larch Pun, a 50-year-old noodle vendor, and Rong Roeun, 35, a district security official, along with an unidentified motodop and an 8-year-old boy.

Khem Sokhon, a commune police official and husband of the injured noodle vendor, said his wife was injured when the buffalo rushed at the stove where a pot of stew was boiling, splashing her with the scalding liquid. The buffalo then attacked the young boy, who was sitting nearby eating porridge.

Afterwards, he continued, the buffalo charged Roeun – who was attempting to subdue it – knocking him backwards and injuring his ankle and knee. It then attacked the passing motorbike driver.

After attacking the people, the buffalo stormed into a house, where locals managed to corral it and hand it over to local authorities, who are holding it until it is claimed.

“However, our authorities have not yet found the owner of the buffalo to resolve this issue,” Kemsan said.

For his part, Sokhon said he had no intention to file a complaint against the buffalo’s owner.

“I just want the owner to pay for the treatment fees, because I know that no owner wants his buffalo to escape from the cow-house and attack other people like this.”