Samaki Meanchey district police are investigating the death of a woman who was killed in a fire at her cottage on Sunday in Kampong Chhnang province’s Peam commune.

District police chief Seng Chenda told The Post on Monday that the victim, 56-year-old Chea Thorn, left behind a husband and several children.

Police are investigating whether someone started the fire or she started it herself.

“According to the assumption of experts, if it’s a murder case, we must have evidence like wood, but there is no wood, so we are investigating,” Chenda said.

Thorn allegedly drank alcohol regularly. Police assume she drank on the day she died and theorised that it could be possible she lit a fire for her clay stove and fell asleep.

Citing locals, Peam commune police chief Sao Vann said Thorn’s cottage was 6km from her home and far from any neighbours or buildings.

On Sunday, the victim went to the cottage at her farm at 8am. At 7:13pm, Vann received news that Thorn had died in a fire at around 3pm.

He went to the scene at 7:35pm, where he found Thorn’s body and the destroyed cottage.

That cottage was very small and Vann said the police don’t suspect foul play.

“It was discovered that she went to the cottage alone. Several hours later, she died in a fire,” he said.

After the incident, Kampong Chhnang provincial police chief Khov Ly ordered his forces to guard the scene for the night and question people in the area. On Monday morning, provincial experts went to check the scene, he said.