A man and a boy were killed and six others were seriously injured on Saturday after a shipping container being transported from Kampot province to Sihanoukville fell from a truck and landed on a van, police said Sunday.
“At about 2 p.m. [Saturday] afternoon the container fell off the truck and dropped onto the van coming from the opposite direction,” said Seng Chamroeun, traffic police chief in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district, where the accident occurred.
“There are two dead and six others seriously injured,” he said, adding that the accident took place along National Road 4.
“According to witnesses, the container truck was speeding and swerved to overtake another truck in front, but unfortunately this caused the container to fall from the truck and drop onto the van before the truck subsequently overturned,” he said.
Mr. Chamroeun said a 30-year-old man and 10-year-old boy died at the scene, while the driver of the van and five other passengers were all trapped inside the van and badly injured.
“Immediately after the accident, the local people and police pulled them from the van,” he said. “The victims were quickly sent for emergency treatment at the provincial referral hospital.”
Mr. Chamroeun said the injured victims were being treated at the provincial referral hospital and that both vehicles were taken to the provincial traffic police office.
“The truck company must be responsible for this incident,” he said.
The container truck belongs to the SDAM Company, which makes regular runs between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, according to Keph Sopheak, deputy provincial traffic police chief.
“The driver fled immediately after the accident and police are seeking to arrest him,” Mr. Sopheak said, adding that he did not know if there was anything in the container.
Representatives for the SDAM company could not be reached for comment Sunday.
