Two children were killed Wednesday when the 4-meter-high concrete wall of a Tela gas station in Pursat province collapsed and destroyed six homes, a police official said Thursday.
The 50-meter-long section of wall fell at 2:30 pm Wednesday shortly after a bout of heavy rain in Sampov Meas district’s Loloak Sar commune, crushing a thatch house and killing brothers Dy Phalsivlen, 6, and Dy Phallin, 4, who were playing inside, said Dol Khemarin, deputy district police chief.
Several other people sustained minor injuries in the collapse in Por Takuoy village, including the mother of the two boys, who is seven-month pregnant, he said. Five other homes were damaged beyond repair, he added.
Tela, a Cambodian company, has agreed to pay $2,000 compensation to the family of the dead boys, Dol Khemarin said. “I am proud of the company for paying so much attention.”
Tela has promised to build six new homes and is paying for the funeral of the two boys, he said.
Kou Thy, Tela’s representative for Pursat province, declined to comment on the case. Tela officials in Phnom Penh could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Ven Lonn, investigator for local human rights group Licadho, said that Hor Sopheng, 39, has not yet received compensation money for the deaths of her children. “We suggested to a [Tela] representative to construct a home for the family first before they go into dialogue about compensation,” he said. He added that Licadho is giving the family rice and some money.
