Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Garment factory fire spreads to parking lot, torches 43 motorbikes

Garment factory fire spreads to parking lot, torches 43 motorbikes

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A factory fire damaged a total of 43 motorcycles in Svay Rieng province's Bavet town on Tuesday. FACEBOOK

Garment factory fire spreads to parking lot, torches 43 motorbikes

At least 43 motorbikes were destroyed by fire after an “electrical malfunction” sparked a blaze at a factory in the Manhattan Special Economic Zone in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town on May 24.

Bavet deputy police chief Kem Dara said on May 25 that the motorbikes belonged to the workers of SHEICO (CAMBODIA) Co, Ltd. The fire started in a water pump belonging to the factory.

He said the fire spread from the pump to a nearby parking lot through the buildings wiring and consumed the motorbikes just after 1pm. No one was injured in the incident.

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
One of the motorcycles destroyed by a fire at a factory in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town on May 24. FACEBOOK

“Most of the motorbikes that were completely destroyed were brand new. Another 11 were partially consumed by the fire,” he said, adding that the garment workers had tried to douse the fire with water – in addition to using extinguishers – but that the flames were already out of control.

The factory contacted Bavet commune police station, but the fire had died out before the fire trucks arrived.

“I do not know how the factory intends to resolve this with the workers who lost their motorbikes, but the authorities are attempting to help them find a compromise,” said Dara.

According to lawyer Yong Phanit, the factory is responsible because the fire happened there.

“The workers used their personal property to serve the company. The factory must take responsibility for the loss because the fire happened onsite,” he said.

He said when property is destroyed during working hours, the responsibility for employee losses fell on the owners of the site. This is precisely why some companies buy insurance for their employees, he added.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is