One worker was killed on Sunday in Kandal province’s Takhmao district when the bridge that he and other workers were dismantling collapsed.
Chit Chan Nim, 27, was killed while cutting a set of two columns that supported most of the structure’s weight, causing the structure to give way, district police chief Se Saroeun said. Chit Chan Nim went down with the bridge around 8 am and his submerged body later resurfaced, he said.
“He died from the bridge’s collapse,” Se Saroeun said. “Both his legs were cut; his body reappeared but his legs were not seen.” It is unknown whether he drowned, was crushed or bled to death.
Se Saroeun said there were no other deaths or injuries from the accident, and blamed the engineers for ordering workers to do an engineer’s job. “I saw it was no good at all how engineers ordered workers to do this work,” he said.
One worker at the site who declined to give his name said that several other workers tumbled into the Tonle Bassac river when the bridge collapsed, but managed to swim to safety.
Kvan Seam, RCAF engineer in charge of the project, could not be reached for comment.
