A FIRE in Phnom Penh’s Prampi Makara district on Wednesday caused US$7,000 worth of damage in one apartment before it was extinguished by municipal firefighters.

Net Vantha, director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Fire Department, said the fire had been caused by a light that was left on by the apartment’s owner.

“The fire was caused by a faulty electric light,” he said, adding that four fire engines arrived at the scene to douse the small blaze.

“It’s good for everyone that we got there so quickly and stopped [the fire] on time, because this apartment is connected to other flats, and it could have spread. We had cooperation from the residents and authorities,” he said.

Lon Sinath, the 45-year-old apartment owner, expressed remorse for having left the light on. “I apologise to my neighbours for putting them through this. This was an accident. I don’t know exactly how or why the fire happened because I wasn’t home at the time,” he said. “I don’t have anything left because of this fire. The only thing left is the apartment itself.”

He estimated that the damage totalled $7,000.