The diesel fuel being transported by the train that was derailed in Pursat province on Monday was imported from Singapore, not Thailand, as some have speculated.
The clarification was made by Phan Rim, spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, today, November 18, in response to online questions regarding the source of the cargo.
Rim said he had observed members of the public and several journalists asking several questions online about the diesel shipment.
“Where did the fuel come from? Through which entry point was it imported? Which company owns it?” they reportedly asked.
“Train number 6535 was transporting 25 fuel tanks belonging to Sokimex Company (imported from Singapore through the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port),” said Rim.
“The train departed from Phnom Penh Station heading toward Boeung Pring Station in Battambang province to distribute fuel in the northwestern provinces of Cambodia. It was not imported from Thailand, as some appear to have speculated, without proper sources or verification,” he added.
He asked the public and journalists to wait for an official statement from the fuel company in the near future.
The derailment was caused by soil subsidence along the track, with four of the 25 fuel carriages overturning at point PK191+600 on the northern railway line in Bakan district, Pursat province.
Rim stated that repair work on the damaged track was completed at 11pm on November 17, and trains could temporarily pass through. By around 4am on Tuesday, November 18, one rail track was already operational again.
The next step was to relocate the overturned fuel tanks back to the company’s designated location.
The Ministry of Environment also issued a statement regarding the incident. Today, it stated that a ministry working group, together with local authorities, has instructed security forces and the transport company to take immediate measures, including prohibiting residents from collecting spilled fuel to prevent health risks and limit the spread of contamination.
They are monitoring the health of residents living near the incident site who may be affected, and have strengthened barriers to prevent fuel from spreading into rice fields and community ponds.
The company has been instructed to clean up all fuel residue on the railway track, and must collect and store contaminated materials, in line with environmental safety standards. The ministry’s technical teams are still working with local authorities to monitor the cleanup and collect water samples from potentially affected areas for analysis.
Ministry spokesperson Khvay Atitya noted that this was the second fuel leakage incident within just four months. The first occurred on August 16, in bordering province Battambang.
“Environmental restoration and preventing pollution can take a long time. It may take up to three months to return the area to a clean state and mitigate impacts on the environment and residents’ livelihoods,” he explained.
He added that in this second incident, four fuel tanks fell and spilled fuel, with most of the spillage contained within the 6,000-square-meter railway land area.
