Cambodia News (Banteay Meanchey): On August 12, 2020, at 2:20 pm, a tower crane that was lifting concrete fell over on some people's houses, killing five people, and four more were seriously injured at Sangkat Kandal, Poipet City, Banteay Meanchey.


The victims who were killed were identified as Dem Sok, 29-year-old woman, Yeay Lek, Sen Moykear, Chao Ly, Chean Hong, and the injured were identified as Phal Sokdalin, Ka Somama, Srey Pich, and Khoeuth Chandy. They were all villagers in no.4 village. The wounded were sent to the hospital.

The local people and the police went to the scene to help rescue the victims.

RIP for the victims of the accident.
Another building/construction accident, again with planning, experience and above all safety, this may have been prevented.

11:08pm, Aug 12, 2020 Updated: 11m ago
Construction crane collapse kills five in Cambodia

A construction crane in Cambodia’s north-western city of Poipet on the border with Thailand has collapsed, killing at least five people and injuring four others.

The crane was being operated on ground made wet by rain, rendering it unstable, said Ath Khem, chief of the Banteay Meanchey provincial police.

He said the crane fell on Wednesday as it was lifting heavy concrete blocks, and described the accident as resulting from carelessness.

The crane fell on houses next to the construction site, killing the victims.

No one involved in the construction work was hurt, he said.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/08 ... -cambodia/

UPDATE
One more person was found injured in the rubble, bringing the total to 5 injured.
There are suggestions that the crane driver may have been too inexperienced for the dangerous work.

Fallen Poipet Crane Crushed Women While Playing Cards, Husband Says
5 min read
Mech Dara and Ananth Baliga Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:58 pm

POIPET CITY, Banteay Meanchey — Riding into Kilometer 4 village on Thursday, there was a hum of funeral prayers on loudspeakers.
Theav Bov, 63, was finishing lunch as caterers packed up the tables and cutlery, marking the end of the day’s ceremony.

His wife, Khean Kimhong, had been playing cards on Wednesday near the Park City Poipet housing development project in Phsar Kandal commune as a crane in the adjoining construction site hauled a large prefabricated concrete slab. The crane came crashing down, crushing a nearby home and front yard, the concrete slab landing on Khean Kimhong and others, according to local officials.

Five were killed and five others injured in the incident. Families on Thursday held funerals for three of the victims, with the bodies of two others taken to their hometowns in nearby Nimit commune and Kampong Cham province, respectively.

Bov said it was likely that the workers were inexperienced to operate that crane and that the company had been careless, but also refused to blame Park City Poipet for the incident.

“I am a weak person. It is up to the governor, city officials and authorities to decide who is wrong,” he added.

He said Park City Poipet representatives had given him $300 and 30 kg of rice, Banteay Meanchey Governor Um Reatrey had given around $250 and the local police and prosecutor had donated $50.

Kilometer 4 village chief Mao Thy questioned the expertise of the construction site’s crane operators.

“This incident is because the [construction company] does not have experts on how to carefully use the cranes,” he said.

Asked if the company was criminally liable for the incident, Thy also deferred to the provincial governor, police and other authorities, who he said were better equipped to investigate the matter.

Soum Chankea, the local coordinator for rights group Adhoc, confirmed that initially only four people were reported injured but another person was pulled from the wreckage later, taking the toll to five dead and five injured.
https://vodenglish.news/fallen-poipet-c ... band-says/

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August 14, 2020
Crane operator arrested over deadly collapse

Banteay Meanchey provincial authorities have arrested the operator of a crane which collapsed and killed five women in Poipet city on Wednesday.

Provincial deputy governor Ly Sary told Khmer Times yesterday the operator was arrested yesterday and is being held responsible for the collapse. However, he said he could not recall the suspect’s name.

In the incident on Wednesday afternoon, five other women were also seriously injured when the crane, carrying concrete slabs at an under-construction building, collapsed on a neighbouring house in Phsar Kandal commune.

“The collapse was caused by the negligence of the crane operator and a technical error in installing the crane,” Sary said. “The crane was installed on soft ground and the foundation was not strong enough when it was hit by strong wind, causing it to collapse.”

He also said authorities have decided to send the collapse case to the provincial court for further investigation to find justice for the victims.

“The provincial administration also ordered city authorities to temporarily close the construction site,” Sary said. “We will question the operator before sending the case to the court for further action.”

He said the court would investigate whether any other people should be held responsible for the collapse.

“They could summon the contractor or construction owner to be questioned,” he added.

Sary said the owner of the property, The Park City, had permission to construct the building and the provincial authorities “regret” the deadly incident.

He said a ministry working group has been cooperating with the provincial land management department to regularly inspect all the building constructions in the province, including The Park City project.

“Following the building collapses in Preah Sihanouk and Kep provinces, Land Management Minister Chea Sophara instructed provincial land management departments to inspect all the buildings as well as strengthen the implementation of the law and other legal norms,” Sary said. “We have instructed all contractors to ensure safety standards, but in this case it was negligence that caused the incident.”

According to the police report, the crane was about 40 metres long and used for lifting concrete slabs measuring four-by-four metres and 12 centimetres thick. The report noted that the crane had been carrying the slabs at a height of 20 metres.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50754875/c ... -collapse/

Do you need a crane operators licence in Cambodia or do you just need a crane
If it is the latter then it is just not the operator that should held accountable!