PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A huge explosion in southwestern Cambodia over the weekend that killed 20 soldiers at an army base appears to have been an accident caused by mishandling of ammunition by troops, a senior military official said Tuesday. The Saturday afternoon blast in Kampong Speu province also destroyed military vehicles and four buildings at the base, and damaged homes in a nearby village. Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Mao Phalla said the soldiers were transferring ammunition from trucks into a storage facility when the blast occurred, killing them instantly. He said another 11 people, including soldiers and nearby villagers, were slightly injured, mostly from debris from the damaged buildings, not shrapnel. Cambodia held a mass funeral on Sunday for those killed in the explosion. The initial but still not official theory was that the soldiers were unloading ammunition from a truck and stacking it on the ground before moving it into the storage facility, causing one item to explode, he said. That set off a chain reaction, added Mao Phalla. |
Stars quickly go from tight series over reigning Cup champ to bigLok Sabha elections 2024: Why Modi and BJP face strong resistance in south IndiaGiro leader Tadej Pogacar finally takes it easy in Stage 4. Jonathan Milan takes a sprint victoryVladimir Putin is sworn in for his fifth term as president at glittering ceremony in front of handSparks move home game against Caitlin Clark and Indiana from Long Beach to downtown Los AngelesJudge delays murder trial for Indiana man charged in 2017 slayings of 2 teenage girlsPope Francis appoints new bishop in Tennessee after former bishop's resignation under pressureBen Affleck did NOT get plastic surgery ahead of Tom Brady's Netflix roastBoy Scouts of America changes name after 114 years to 'boost inclusion'Thiago Silva to return to Brazilian club Fluminense after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season