Veasna Neary Kam-kor Kat Dé - "Sad fate of garment factory workers": A Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea

Click on the poem to zoom in

Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea (on the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com)

Fire razed over 40 rental homes

A scene of the incident location during the fire located next to the Russian Federation Avenue (Photo: Ratanak, Koh Santepheap)

Factory workers are overcome with emotion when they saw their apartments on fire (Photo: Ratanak, Koh Santepheap)

A scene at the incident location after the fire (Photo: Ratanak, Koh Santepheap)

Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A fire destroyed about 40 homes built out of wood and concrete located near the LA garment factory, in front of the Teuk Thla pagoda, Teuk Thla commune, Russei keo district, at 7:15 AM on 30 July 2007. The caused of the fire is presumed to be an electrical short circuit which started at one of the homes occupied by a factory worker. However, the owner of the apartment was at work when the fire started. Local officials gave a preliminary report indicating that about 42 homes – where the bottom floor is built out of concrete and the upper floor built out of wood – and their contents were completely destroyed by the fire. The fire area consists of homes rented by about 228 factory workers living there, and when the fire started, the workers were already at work. During the fire, the workers left their factory work to come and look at their rental apartments, and a large number of them cried and passed out from grief due to the loss of their belongings.