Cambodia's national police chief, a close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash, government officials said.
Gen. Hok Lundy (pictured), the police commissioner-general, died when the helicopter in which he was traveling went down in Svay Rieng province in the country's southeast, said Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.
Three other people -- the pilot, co-pilot and a military general -- were also killed, said police Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police force.
Hok Lundy, who was in his late 50s (58 years old), had a reputation for ruthlessness as well as loyalty to Hun Sen. On Sunday morning, he had attended celebrations in the capital Phnom Penh marking the 55th anniversary of Cambodia's independence from France.
His helicopter took off from Phnom Penh around 7:20 p.m. and lost contact with air controllers about 15 minutes later, Khieu Sopheak said.
Gen. Hok Lundy (pictured), the police commissioner-general, died when the helicopter in which he was traveling went down in Svay Rieng province in the country's southeast, said Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.
Three other people -- the pilot, co-pilot and a military general -- were also killed, said police Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police force.
Hok Lundy, who was in his late 50s (58 years old), had a reputation for ruthlessness as well as loyalty to Hun Sen. On Sunday morning, he had attended celebrations in the capital Phnom Penh marking the 55th anniversary of Cambodia's independence from France.
His helicopter took off from Phnom Penh around 7:20 p.m. and lost contact with air controllers about 15 minutes later, Khieu Sopheak said.
No comments:
Post a Comment