A 40-meter-tall MobiTel antenna in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district toppled to the ground amid high winds on Sunday, crushing two workers to death and critically wounding a third, district police said Monday.
Worker Kim Khim, 31, was killed instantly, at roughly 5 pm; Seng Phanna, 19, died at Calmette Hospital Monday.
Nhuong Chap, 25, sustained serious internal injuries and is recovering at Calmette, said district police chief Ly Lay. The three had been at least 30 meters in the air, attaching an extension to an existing antenna that provides service to mobile phones with 012 and 092 numbers, he said. “It was only 10 meters until they would have finished their work, but maybe the steel knotted, then the three workers were hit with strong wind, and fell to the ground,” said Chea Sambath, Khmuonh commune police chief.
MobiTel owner Kith Meng said his company had contracted a Thailand-based business to install the antenna. He would not name the business, but said he would press for compensation.
“This Thai company will pay compensation and this company will pay for MobiTel’s property, too,” Kith Meng said, noting that the deaths were not MobiTel’s fault.
“I hope the company will pay everything to the victims and to my company, because the Thai company has insurance,” he said.
Ly Lay said police will investigate further.
