Chinese experts to read crashed chopper's black box in Cambodia

A team of Chinese experts will arrive in Cambodia on Thursday to read the black box of a crashed military helicopter, Soeung Samnang, commander of the Royal Cambodian Air Force, said on Wednesday.

A Chinese-built Z-9 military helicopter crashed into a water- filled quarry on the outskirts of Phnom Penh City on Monday during a training mission, killing four military officers.

"Experts from the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) will arrive in Cambodia on Thursday to read the data in the black box," he told reporters during a funeral of the dead military officers at the Phnom Penh Military Airbase.

"We will know the cause of the crash after experts read vital information in the black box," he said.

Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh Municipality has banned digging any quarry in the city after the chopper crashed into a 35-meter-deep quarry.

"The digging of quarries in a deep level without complying with technical standards has damaged land position and affected environment," Phnom Penh Municipal governor Pa Socheatvong said in a directive signed on Tuesday.

"Companies, which are doing land digging business, must stop digging quarries in Phnom Penh from now on," the governor said.

The governor also warns to take firm measures against those who fail to comply with the directive.