ANOTHER worker was killed in an accident at the Russei Chrum Kraom river hydropower construction site in Koh Kong province on Monday, less than a week after a pair of Chinese nationals died while working on the same project.

Ouch Nob, 45, was electrocuted and killed while connecting electrical cables at the site in Thmar Baing district, work he was not trained to do, Neang Bora Tino, an investigating officer of Adhoc in Koh Kong province said yesterday.

He said a representative of dam’s construction company, China Huadian Hong Kong Limited, denied responsibility claiming Ouch Nob had died from fainting.

Family members then went to Adhoc to prepare a complaint to submit to police.

“In the complaint, his brother Ouch Pov and Pich Pin, both who were co-workers of the victim, demanded the company pay US$5,000 compensation,” he said.

The company later agreed to pay US$ 4,700 to the victim’s family, he said, after police demanded they explain why a worker was made to do a job he had no experience in.

Results from the provincial hospital confirmed Ouch Pov had died from electrocution, he added.

Sok Ngor, chief of the criminal office of Koh Kong provincial police, said yesterday the project was too important to Cambodia’s economy to put on hold because of safety concerns.

“The project is nearly completed and we cannot have the government stop it because of a small case,” he said.

China Huadian Hong Kong Limited could not be reached for comment. Chinese nationals Li Ching-fu, 36, and Chin Komin, 38, were killed instantly while drilling triggered a minor rock fall at the same site, last week.