At least 24 people were killed and another 24 injured in the collapse of a Chinese-owned building under construction in a Cambodian coastal city, police said Sunday, a project that authorities said had lacked required permits and had continued despite orders to cease work.
The collapse early Saturday of the seven-story building highlighted the danger of unregulated construction as the city, Sihanoukville, has been transformed by a flood of Chinese investment.
Three Chinese citizens and a Cambodian who had leased or sold the building site to the Chinese have been arrested, Cambodian police said in a statement.
Authorities in Preah Sihanouk province, which includes Sihanoukville, said the work was being done without the proper permits. And Yun Min, the provincial governor, said that Chen Kun, identified by authorities as the Chinese owner of the building, had been warned twice about serious problems at the site and had been ordered to stop construction.
“We have prohibited construction very often,” Yun Min said. “Some listen, but some don’t and stealthily continue.”
Nga Mon, a farmer from Battambang province, said Sunday that her daughter and son-in-law were among those killed. “They had only been working here for three days,” she said. “I am full of regret.”
The couple left behind three sons, Nga Mon said.
Only a few years ago, Sihanoukville was a sleepy beach town known for its laid-back backpacker vibe. But the city has changed rapidly with an influx of Chinese tourists. High-rise hotels and more than 50 casinos, many with gilt-edged flourishes, have replaced seafood shacks and hammocks on the beach.
Ek Tha, who supervised 15 workers cementing bathroom tiles and painting walls at the construction site, said that 12 of his crew members were still missing. Around 80 per cent of construction had been completed at the time of Saturday’s collapse.
“We have little hope,” he said, standing near the destroyed building, where soldiers and police officers were sifting through the debris in hopes of finding survivors. The 18th body, pulled from the rubble on Sunday, belonged to one of his workers.
Ek Tha said the materials used at the site, which he said was to be a hotel, were insufficient. “They just used metal,” he said. “It’s not enough.”