An unidentified foreigner was found dead in the street yesterday next to a recently opened KFC franchise in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Keng Kang One commune, police said, as they continued to try and determine the cause of death. Commune police chief Koul Sophat said the body was discovered on Street 51 at around 5 am yesterday.

“He didn’t have an identity card or any other documents, so it’s hard to determine his nationality and name,” he said. “I have examined the body and have found no injuries”.

Sophat added that the victim was a foreigner and most likely around 50 years old.

“The incident may have occurred between 3am to 5am, as police scanned the area around 3am during a usual security check but found nothing,” he said. “At 5am, local residents noticed [the body] and called us.”

The man’s body was sent to Stung Meanchey pagoda at 6am. Police have taken blood samples for analysis to determine the cause of death.

“In our estimation, the [victim] may have suffered from alcohol [poisoning],” Sophat said. “However we will have to wait for the [autopsy] results to make a final judgment about whether or not drugs were involved.”

Samrith Samoeurn, the deputy chief of Boeung Keng Kang I commune, said the body smelt of alcohol.

“I asked local residents, and they said that they had seen the [victim] walking occasionally after he had been to bars around the [area], but they had never spoken to him or knew where he lived,” he said.