A backpack factory in Phnom Penh’s Dangkao district claims it lost millions of dollars in merchandise on Tuesday after a fire engulfed its stock building, officials said Wednesday.
Sok Vannara, deputy chief of the Phnom Penh Fire Department, said faulty electrical wires sparked a fire at the New Pex (Cambodia) factory, which produces the popular Yonex, INGS, and Sanwei brands of backpack.
“We used 12 trucks to put out the fire,” Mr. Vannara said. “This was a fire in the stock building so there was a lot of stuff that made it become a big fire.”
No one was injured during the blaze, which occurred at about 8 p.m. after staff had gone home. Suong Piseth, an administration officer at New Pex, said he does not agree with the electrical-fault finding.
“How can the fire start when we turned off the electricity already?” he asked.
“We will corporate with insurance company to investigate this more.”
Mr. Piseth added that the company’s operations remained running despite the millions in losses, with workers completing their tasks in another building.
