A fire broke out in Tuol Kork district’s Boeung Salang commune yesterday morning, with three flats catching alight before fire crews put out the blaze. Deputy municipal police chief for fires and explosions Chheang Phannara said 15 rooms were damaged in the wooden and concrete apartments.

He said the fire broke out at 9am and was extinguished 40 minutes later by the combined efforts of 20 fire engines. ‘We have not identified the cause yet but are continuing to investigate,’ Phannara said. Pol Kam Oun, who owned the building, suggested the fire could have been caused by an electrical fault.

Tenant Nob Sokhum said the fire took her by surprise, ‘I was cooking when I heard people shout. I thought they were just playing with one another, but when I walked out I saw the flames. I think it might not have been an electrical malfunction; maybe people were cooking behind the house,’ Sokhum said, adding that she lost everything but her motorbike in the blaze.

Deputy police chief Phannara said there have been 63 fires in the capital since the start of the year, resulting in 11 injuries and two fatalities.