Cambodian authorities in Poipet town have requested that Thai authorities investigate a fire that destroyed more than 16 Cambodian footwear shops in Rong Kluea market last Saturday, Poipet governor Ngor Meng Chroun said yesterday.

According to Meng Chruon, officials received a report from Thai authorities in Sa Kaeo province about the fire on Saturday morning.

“I received the report . . . that the 16 shoe shops and the goods were completely razed, but they did not confirm the cause of the fire. So we asked the Thai authorities to investigate . . . so that Cambodian vendors can demand compensation,” he said.

Bun Heng, one of the vendors, said Thai authorities and security guards in the market claimed the fire was caused by an “electrical malfunction”.

“Some Cambodian vendors asked for an additional investigation as we suspected that there might be someone who set the fire,” he said.

Heng added that while the market’s owner promised to rebuild the shops for free and waive the rent, electricity bills, taxes, and cleaning fees for a month, he had refused to compensate vendors for the lost goods.