PHNOM PENH, July 28 -- A strong fire completely destroyed a garment factory and killed a Chinese national in the suburban area of capital Phnom Penh early Monday, a firefighting police chief confirmed.

The accident occurred at 4 a.m. at Chang Sheng garment factory in Por Senchey district and firefighters took about four hours to control the blaze, Phnom Penh municipal firefighting police chief Neth Vantha said.

"A Chinese man Yang Xinsun, 42, supervisor of the factory's laundry department, was found dead in a bathroom during the fire," he told reporters, adding that electric fault was blamed for the blaze. "As it happened at night, there were no workers but Chinese staff who slept in the factory," he said.

The factory employs nearly 1,000 workers and produces woven pants, shorts, shirts and skirts. The cost of damage from the fire has not been estimated yet.