A series of traffic accidents claimed the lives of 10 people and left 32 others injured today, August 28, according to the National Police’s Department of Traffic Police and Public Order.
The casualties were incurred in 11 separate nationwide accidents, six of which happened at night.
Among these incidents was an early morning collision between a van carrying factory workers and a container truck which took place in Preah Sihanouk province’s Kampong Seila district and commune.
A local media outlet cited an official police statement as saying that the container truck, which was bound from Preah Sihanouk to Phnom Penh, attempted to overtake another truck and collided head-on with the van.
The crash killed one women passenger instantly, with the van driver succumbing to his injuries en route to hospital.
An additional 25 people, including 16 women, were injured, many of them seriously, in the horror smash. It was reported that the driver of the truck fled the scene and is being sought by the authorities.
According to the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), in the first half of 2024, the Kingdom recorded 1,534 road traffic accidents, which resulted in 793 deaths and 2,116 injuries. The majority of the crashes were adjudged to be the result of excessive speed.
Among the fatalities, 79 per cent were motorcycle riders, 67 per cent of whom were not wearing helmets.
Sar Sokha, Minister of Interior and chairman of the NRSC, instructed the relevant authorities to continue to strictly enforce traffic laws, in accordance with the established plan for reducing the annual road toll by five per cent.
