Three people died instantly and two others were injured when an elevator cable apparently snapped at a construction site in western Sihanoukville’s Commune III at around 8am on May 20, local police said. One of the injured later died in hospital.

Chin Chhoun, director of the local explosives control bureau, confirmed that all five casualties were Cambodian workers.

He said that further details had yet to emerge, but affirmed that local police were investigating the incident at the 20-odd storey building.

The Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction said early this year that they would implement a programme from January 4 for the inspection and certification of construction quality, designed to more effectively enforce the construction law and ensure public safety.

Substandard construction led to the deaths of at least 17 people and injured dozens more when a building collapsed in Sihanoukville’s Commune IV in June 2019. Another incident occurred in early 2021 when a seven-storey building collapsed in Kep town killing 36 people and injuring 23 others.