"Eighteen dead, 24 injured in Cambodia building collapse", 22 June 2019

… Eighteen people were killed when an under-construction building in Cambodia collapsed early …, an official said, as rescuers struggled to reach missing workers feared trapped under a mountain of twisted steel and rubble.

The seven-storey steel and concrete structure in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, west of the capital Phnom Penh, was a Chinese-owned project.

At least 24 people were injured and some workers had been trapped inside the building soon after it collapsed, according to the office of the spokesman for the local province of Preah Sihanouk.

… A statement issued … by Preah Sihanouk Province officials said 40% of the debris from the site had been cleared. It was not clear how many more people were missing… Preah Sihanouk province and its largest town, Sihanoukville, has seen a rush of investment in recent years from China, especially into the casino, property and tourism sectors.

Home to Cambodia’s largest port and a Chinese Special Economic Zone connected to Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative, the town is also undergoing a construction boom to serve growing crowds of Chinese tourists and investors.

Police have detained four people, including three construction supervisors, for questioning in relation to the accident, according to a statement from the province.