An explosion in rural Kampong Speu province on Saturday, which destroyed a complete ammunition truck and razed buildings, also injured several soldiers and a minimum of one child.
The Defense Ministry said Thursday that investigators consider a heat wave played a job within the detonation of the old weapon.
“The ammunition explosion incident on April 27, 2024… was a technical problem since the weapons are old, defective and the weather is hot,” the ministry said in a press release.
It didn’t explain the particular problem or how heat could have contributed to the explosion.
The ministry also rejected suggestions that the explosion was attributable to mutinous soldiers or an act of terrorism.
‘Very dangerous’: Thailand’s heat index hits 52 degrees amid power supply problems within the Philippines
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Fatal munitions accidents aren’t unusual in Cambodia, which is awash with munitions, mines and unexploded ordnance left over from many years of civil conflict.
Inadequate safety standards often contribute to such incidents.
Like most of South and Southeast Asia, Cambodia has been combating heat in recent weeks.
Authorities warned on Sunday that temperatures could reach 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, although rain and cooler weather were forecast in the approaching days.
After the explosion west of the capital Phnom Penh, photos posted on social media showed a destroyed single-story constructing shrouded in smoke, and residents of a close-by village also shared photos of broken windows online.
Other photos showed individuals who gave the impression to be civilians, including a small child in a diaper, with cuts and wounds being treated in hospital.
An office constructing and nearby barracks were destroyed, and 25 nearby houses were also damaged.
Prime Minister Hun Manet said the families of the dead would receive about $20,000 each and the wounded soldiers would receive $5,000.
