Cambodia building collapse toll hits 36; rescue called off
The search for victims in the rubble of a collapsed building in southern Cambodia drew to a close yesterday with the final death toll at 36 -- the latest tragedy in a string of deadly construction accidents. Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, said 23 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of the seven-storey hotel, which crumpled to the ground in seaside Kep on Friday afternoon. Hun Sen told reporters the contractor responsible for the construction had died in the accident, while the building’s owner had been detained. The rescue effort lasted more 40 hours, mobilizing hundreds of soldiers and labourers using excavators, drills and power saws to clear concrete and cut through metal bars of the pancaked structure. Cambodia is undergoing a construction boom, with hotels, high-rises and casinos springing up under little regulatory oversight.
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