Two women died Saturday night after their car plunged off the end of the Neak Leung ferry in Kandal province when the brakes failed, police said Sunday.
“After the car got on the ferry, it continued to accelerate across the ferry and fell into the water,” said Loeuk Dek district deputy police chief Am Thou.
The driver and two other passengers escaped, but Theam Touch, 53, and Ngy Sarun, 64, drowned before they could be rescued.
“Police have made their preliminary conclusions that it was because the car’s brakes did not work,” he said. He added the situation may have been exacerbated by a lack of chains across the rear of the ferry.
“Usually there are chains put across the end to protect…. The incident could be partly because of the ferry and the car’s driver, but mostly it is because the driver could not brake.”
Mr. Thou said the family has not filed a complaint, but police were looking for the driver who fled after being rescued.
The director of the Neak Leung ferry could not be reached for comment.
