A massive fire engulfed Foremart Cambodia Co Ltd factory in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district on the evening of February 11, 2025, reducing the building to ash. The blaze left around 470 garment workers jobless all of a sudden, which has made them worry about their future, while authorities determined the cause of the fire.
The blaze started around 6p.m, just as the workers were leaving for the day, spreading from one side of the factory. Although the fire alarm went off, no one could help, causing the whole building to be destroyed.
Thick black smoke still could be seen on the morning of February 12, with firefighters continuing to extinguish the fire. Parts of the building collapsed to the ground, as the smell lingered in the air.
According to the Phnom Penh Municipal Police, the owner of the factory is Yoo Miwol, a 51-year-old South Korean national. The source said experts are investigating the cause of the fire, confirming that the entire factory was completely damaged but no one was injured. The operation utilized 105 water trucks.
Ek Sim, 41, a packaging worker, said the factory where she has worked for about 10 years, never caused problems for workers. She is saddened as the fire might have caused her to lose her job given the extensive damage to the building. She has “no hope” that the factory will be able to resume operations.
What she wants is to find a new job where she can earn similar wages to her old job to support her family and repay bank debts. She also hopes that relevant parties will help them secure new jobs, noting that the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training should intervene on behalf of the workers.
“Just hearing the news that the factory is on fire makes me cry. I am so sad. I don’t want to lose a factory [job] like this,” Sim said.
Another worker, Khorn, 43, said he was upset that the factory was completely destroyed by fire after working there for 10 years.
He wants the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to help them and “does not dare” expect much from the factory owner because of the complete destruction.
“Currently, we do not know what to do, except for the boss, who has not arrived yet. The problem is that we have lost our income. We used to have a monthly income, it will affect our children’s education and repayment of bank debts. It is miserable,” Khorn said.
In early January 2024, a fire broke out at Yida garment factory in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district, killing one woman and injuring 20 workers.
Later in March, more than 2,000 workers of R.G Footwear in Kandal province were left in a lurch after their factory was destroyed by fire.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training spokesperson Katta Orn mentioned that there were 466 workers working for Foremart. After the incident, the ministry officials went to the scene to observe the work being done by fire experts.
On February 12, Minister Heng Sour inspected the condition of the factory and met the workers to assure them that the second half of their salary and other benefits would be settled on February 20, 2025.
The workers can use their NSSF card as usual, especially pregnant and postpartum women. In particular, workers who want to change jobs, can seize new opportunities through the Employment and Labor Agency’s mobile job centers, he said.
Separately, Orn said the ministry continued to advise employers and workers to pay more attention to implementing fire safety standards to prevent fires.
