Explosion at Cambodia military base kills 20 soldiers

WORLD, April 28 (YPA) -Cambodian authorities have tightened security measures around a military base in the southwest of the country, following a massive explosion that killed 20 soldiers, injured others, and caused damage to nearby homes.

 The country’s prime minister Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that he was “deeply shocked” when he received the news of Saturday afternoon’s blast at the base in Kampong Speu province. The cause was not immediately clear.

Images from the scene showed several badly damaged buildings still smouldering and soldiers receiving treatment in a hospital. Other photos showed houses with holes in their roofs.

Nearby residents reported damage to their homes.

Cambodia, like many countries in the region, has been suffering from an extended heatwave, and the province where the blast took place registered a high of 39C (102F) on Saturday.

 Kiripost, an online English language news service, quoted nearby resident Pheng Kimneang as saying a major explosion occurred about 2.30pm, followed by smaller blasts for another hour.

E.M