Business owners and residents on Phnom Penh’s popular riverside demanded compensation yesterday from representatives of local company Vattanac for property damage caused by digging at its construction site in Daun Penh district.

A local proprietor said that representatives from the Vattanac company stated at a meeting with district officials yesterday that insurance workers would inspect buildings on the block between streets 178 and 184 – where well-known eateries FCC, Pop Café and Edelweiss sit ­– in order to assess compensation claims.

“The lady from Vattanac Bank was just saying ‘let us finish the construction and in the meantime an insurance [company] will check about compensation’,” Giorgio Arcasi, owner of Italian restaurant Pop Café, said yesterday.

“Let’s see if [Vattanac] keep their word and there’s a real intention to pay compensation.”

Owners and residents say that buildings have suffered damage as a result of digging at a Vattanac construction site on Sisowath Quay.

Last week, district governor Sok Sambath issued a notice requesting that 11 families temporarily evacuate buildings on the block.

“Vattanac Company … has been digging land to build a concrete wall for the building and caused cracks and sinking of the land, so 11 affected families cannot stay and do business,” the notice read.

Arcasi said that cracks had appeared in his restaurant’s walls and a glass door had shattered due to pressure on the building. He added that German restaurant Edelweiss had suffered worse damage

and the floor near its entrance had sunk.

“The main concern is that professional engineers decide what is the course of action, not people from Vattanac, but someone that has the knowledge,” he said.

FCC restaurant manager Chan Ty, who also attended the meeting in the capital, said yesterday that while damage to FCC had so far been limited, several homeowners closer to the construction site had requested that their houses be rebuilt.

“The owners asked [Vattanac] to build new houses because they cannot stay there … because the house is almost collapsing,” he said.

“The representative said they will bring all the demands from the people and report to the [Vattanac] owner.”

Daun Penh district governor Sok Sambath could not be reached for comment yesterday, and deputy governor Sok Penh Vuth declined to comment to The Post.

Chhun Leang, president of Vattanac Properties Ltd and chairperson of Vattanac Bank, also declined to comment.