A fire at the main market in Kratie province’s Chhlong district destroyed 41 wooden stalls and three shophouses on Sunday night, causing over $250,000 in damage, the district governor said Monday.
The governor, Heng Sopha, said the fire started in some of the market’s peripheral stalls and was extinguished by firefighters within two hours.
“If the fire had been in the center of the market, it might have caused $1 million in damage, but our firefighters were able to save it,” Mr. Sopha said.
According to provincial police chief Lon Sophat, the fire is believed to have been caused by either an electrical short-circuit, a gas explosion, or burning trash at the back of one of the houses, which then spread to the wooden market stalls.
“Now our investigating police are searching to find out the real cause of the fire,” he said.
“The fire is the result of carelessness of the shophouse owner because of trash and gas,” he added.
