Cambodia says heatwave a factor in ammo blast that killed 20 soldiers

Smoke billows from the warehouse following an explosion at an army base in Kampong Speu province on April 27, 2024. - AFP

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's defence ministry said Thursday (May 2) a blistering heatwave roiling South-East Asia played a role in an ammunition explosion that killed 20 soldiers at an army base over the weekend.

The blast -- which destroyed an entire truck of munitions and levelled buildings -- also wounded several soldiers and at least one child in rural Kampong Speu province on Saturday.