A father and son were left seriously burned yesterday morning in a massive fire at a construction site in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district, with 11 fire engines needed to put out the blaze.

According to authorities, the fire started in Borey Piphop Thmey commune at around 5:30am and engulfed a zinc-roofed wooden structure large enough to house around 300 workers.

The victims, named as Phim Srun, 37, and his son Phim Nan, 17, were taken to Phnom Penh’s Calmette Hospital for treatment.

Borey Piphop Thmey commune police chief Keo Santhout said the victims “were burned over almost all of their bodies because they were trying to take out their possessions, which were burning”.

“The fire was caused by an electrical fault; luckily it did not spread to burn neighbouring villagers’ houses,” he added According to Santhout, the blaze destroyed five motorbikes, 10 bicycles and a tuk-tuk, as well as the possessions of many of the construction workers employed on the site.

A post on the National Police website yesterday said 11 fire engines were needed to put out the blaze, which was extinguished at around 6:45am.

The director of Phnom Penh municipal fire brigade, Prom Yorn, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Kong Sovanna, chief of the Interior Ministry’s Weapons and Explosive Management and Fire Control office, said 14 people have been killed and 16 injured in fires so far this year.