A decaying bridge collapsed on a dilapidated stretch of National Route 7 Sunday morning, killing a truck driver who was attempting the Kratie province river crossing, a local official said Tuesday.
The 5-meter Fuso-brand truck, which was heavily laden with sand bound for a nearby construction site, plunged into a river in Sambor district about 15 km north of the provincial capital. The driver was trapped in the truck’s cabin and drowned, said Sok Rafor, Kratie’s third deputy governor.
The metal-and-wood bridge was clearly damaged and the driver should have known better than to try and cross it, Sok Rafor said.
“The bridge is very decayed,” he said. “It is a dangerous venture for a driver.”
The stretch of highway in Sambor district is the only major route connecting Kratie with Stung Treng province and northeast Cambodia.
Sok Rafor said the road has not been repaired since the 1960s, and accidents are a recurring problem.
A truck driver was killed on Route 7 last year when a bridge collapsed in Snuol district, Sok Rafor said.
That bridge has since been repaired, but at least four others between Kratie town and Sambor district urgently need repairs, he said.
Provincial officials have sent a proposal to the government seeking money to repair the highway but are still awaiting a reply, Sok Rafor said.
