Mortician dies in explosion while cremating accident victim


 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

In a tragic turn of events, a 72-year-old priest cum mortician died in an explosion while he was lighting up the pyre of a 20-year-old accident victim at a pagoda in the village of Roveang in Kampong Cham province’s Chhoeung Prey district, on Saturday evening.

Chhoeung Prey district police deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Seng Lino said that the mortician was identified as Hoeun Soeun, living in Roveang village, Khnor Dambang commune.

Lt. Col. Lino said that the priest had been burning corpses for more than 40 years, and the incident happened while he was prepared to burn the corpse of the youth with wood and 30 litres of gasoline.

“When he lighted up the corpse the big steel door of the crematorium exploded and hit on his forehead causing him to die on the spot due to serious injuries,” he added.

This is the first such accident happened at a funeral site.

However, the youth’s cremation was carried out by other morticians, and the priest’s mortal remains were sent to his family for burial, as per the religious beliefs of the villagers.

Lt. Col. Lino said that Soeun’s corpse was not cremated because the villagers consider his death as unnatural as he was died due to an explosion.





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