At least 20 soldiers killed, several others injured after ammunition explosion at army base in Cambodia
Hun Manet
At least 20 soldiers were killed and several others were injured after an ammunition explosion at a base in the west of Cambodia on Saturday (Apr 27) afternoon, said the country’s Prime Minister Hun Manet.
What we know about the blast
According to Hun Manet, the blast which occurred on Saturday afternoon at an army base in Kampong Speu province also left several people injured. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.
Citing images from social media, news agency AFP reported that a one-storey building wreathed in smoke. Residents of a nearby village also posted images of broken windows online.
Also Read |Columbia faculty senate passes resolution over administrative handling of anti-Israel protests
According to local media reports, the blaze broke out at 2:30 pm (local time) at an ammunition depot in the Third Military Command in Kampong Speu province’s Chamkar Doung village.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
The site was immediately closed to traffic and some nearby residents werereportedly evacuated. Local police and fire trucks intervened to extinguish the blaze and the situation was brought under control around 4:40 pm (local time), according to local media reports.
‘Deeply shocked’
The Cambodian PM took to Facebook and said he was “deeply shocked” about the “explosion incident,” and expressed his “deepest condolences” to the families of those killed.
He also said that he has instructed the minister of national defence and the commander-in-chief of Royal Cambodian armed forces to urgently arrange funerals for the soldiers who died.
Also Read |Iraqi TikTok star Umm Fahad shot outside her home amid controversy over dancing videos
Hun Manet, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point was promoted to a four-star general before he was elected to serve as PM and succeeded his autocratic father Hun Sen.
US and France react
“I extend deepest condolences to the families & loved ones of Royal Cambodian Army soldiers killed and all those affected by today’s tragic explosion in Kampong Speu. Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” said W. Patrick Murphy, US Ambassador to Cambodia, in a post on X.
While the French Embassy in a statemen said, “The Embassy of France in Cambodia…is deeply saddened by the terrible explosion which took place in Kampong Speu today and took so many lives. We wish to express our deepest condolences to the Royal Government of Cambodia, the RCAF and the families of the victims."
(With inputs from agencies)