Thousands homeless in Cambodia fire

The fire spread quickly through the cramped buildings

A massive fire has destroyed the homes of thousands of illegal slum dwellers in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Officials said there were reports of several deaths, but numbers have not been confirmed.

The place is also cramped with dwellings which intensified the fire

Kong Saran, deputy police chief

Police believe the fire was started when a natural gas container exploded inside a kitchen.

The fire spread quickly through the ramshackle wood and thatch buildings, destroying up to 2,000 homes.

"A lot of people could not escape," said 26-year-old Khan Rom, who fled with her two children and a few personal belongings.

The deputy police chief of Phnom Penh, Kong Saran, said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed in the fire, which broke out at 0840 GMT (1540 local time) on Monday.

"The place is also cramped with dwellings which intensified the fire and cut off access to fire trucks," he said. "We don't know how it started but we are going to investigate and find out."

Devastated

Deputy governor for the Chamkarmon district, Kuoch Chamroeun, said district and commune officials have asked city officials for food and shelter assistance.

Phnom Penh already has a problem with children sleeping rough

The area was still on fire as night fell, but appeared to be under control. Attempts to sift through the wreckage would not begin until Tuesday morning, officials said.

The destroyed area, close to the Bassac River, is home to a large ethnic Vietnamese community.

It is the third fire this year to destroy a squatter community in the area. A fire in May made more than 500 people homeless.

They were re-housed in a new community 15 kilometres (10 miles) outside the city, and the site of the fire was made into a park.

The city's authorities have been trying to persuade all squatters to leave the area, which is intended for redevelopment.