Drone explodes in sky over P Vihear temple
An
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exploded near the Preah Vihear temple
yesterday morning, causing panic among troops stationed along the Thai
border area, military officials said yesterday.
Chhim Sovantha, a
heritage police officer at Preah Vihear who was guarding the temple,
said the drone exploded at around 10:45am with parts of its wings
scattering in different places in the border area near the temple.
“I
saw a huge cloud of black smoke in the sky and heard the bang of the
explosion near the temple,” he said. “One part of the drone fell near
the pagoda of Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvara and some [fragments] fell into the
Cambodian side and some in the Thai side [of the border].”
According
to Sovantha, yesterday’s incident was the third time a UAV had exploded
in the temple area in recent years. In 2011, a similar incident
occurred in Kulen district, while last year, a drone also exploded near
the temple, he said.
Major General Phat Sophen, deputy commander
of the third military division and Chief of the Cambodian-Thai Border
Relations Office at Preah Vihear, said he had ordered an investigation
into the matter.
“I was not in the office [at the time], but
military officials are collecting pieces [of the drone] and are
investigating now,” he said.
A provincial military official who
gave his name only as Chamroeun said that parts of the drone’s wings
were also found in Sra Em commune’s Sreah Kdol and Chheu Teal villages,
and in Ta Thav, about 10 kilometres away from the temple.
“Some of the wing parts weigh about 20 kilograms, while others are less than that,” he said.
Military police spokesman Kheng Tito said the drone had exploded over Sra Em commune.
“All
the parts of the drone that were collected have been kept at the office
of the Preah Vihear Authority for experts to find the source of where
it came from,” he said.
The incident occurred just two days after Foreign Minister Hor Namhong visited troops in the area.
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