The fire started at around 5pm on July 1 on the fifth floor of the ‘6969’ nightclub in Sangkat Phsar Depot 1, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Khmer Times reported.  

The blaze killed eight people, including six Chinese nationals and two Vietnamese people. Local police said the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical wiring.

Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sok Seiha said the victims were construction workers who were renovating the interior of the building when the fire broke out. They died of suffocation.

The police have launched investigations into the accident and arrested four people, San Sok Seiha said.