A family is mourning the death of two children in as many days after one of their daughters who were brutally assaulted during a robbery on Sunday, succumbed to her injuries yesterday.

Police have now made an arrest in connection with the vicious attack which took place in Pursat province’s Krakor district, where thieves severely beat three young siblings while stealing their parents’ motorbike.

Krakor district police chief Mol Soth confirmed the arrest yesterday but refused to disclose the identity of the suspect.

“We are searching for other suspects so we cannot say in detail as it [would affect] the work of police,” he said.

Houses in the area were sparsely distributed and police suspected the thieves had seized on this isolation to rob the family while the parents were away, he added.

The family’s six-year-old son died on the scene on Sunday while his eight- and 10-year-old sisters were beaten unconscious.

The latter passed away yesterday after being rushed to the Kantha Bopha children’s hospital in Phnom Penh.

Chan Sokha, director of the Pursat Provincial Hospital, where the victims were first treated, said the sisters were transferred to Kantha Bopha on Sunday night but that in spite of their best efforts doctors stood little chance of saving her.

Both sisters had been so badly beaten that their necks had almost broken, he said, adding that the eight-year-old remained in serious condition.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Yuthana at [email protected]