Police in Pursat province are searching for a 49-year-old man who allegedly killed his 27-year-old son with an axe following a drunken argument on Friday, police said yesterday.

Chea Arun, deputy police chief of Bakan district, said the father, identified as Kao San, allegedly struck his son on the head and forehead with an axe. The victim, San Dy, was transported to the provincial referral hospital, where he was later pronounced dead due to his injuries.

On Friday, the day of the incident, the son had returned home after a night out drinking with his friends. He was heavily intoxicated and began to insult his parents and threaten to harm them, as he was allegedly known to do, Arun said.

“The victim asked for money and was insulting his parents,” he said. The victim went upstairs and the father later followed with an axe and allegedly attacked him. The mother did not realise her husband had gone upstairs with an axe until she saw her son bleeding.

“Until now, we haven’t found the suspect yet,” Arun said. “If the family gave us information it would be helpful for the investigation, but the wife doesn’t seem to want to cooperate.”