The Kampot provincial court today ordered a reinvestigation into the deadly seven-storey building collapse in Kep province’s Kep city last year, which claimed 36 lives.

On January 4 last year, an under-construction building collapsed in Kep province, killing 36, including children, and injuring 23 others.

In the verdict announcement attended by some families of the victims and their lawyers, Presiding judge Men Vannak ordered a probe into the case again.

The owners of the building were absent.

Ky Tech, head of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Volunteer Lawyer Group, said today that a group of his lawyers also attended the verdict announcement.

“With regard to the verdict, the court decided to ‘take action’ to further interview witnesses and seven experts,” he said. “[The court] will conduct a retrial of the case at a later date.”