PHNOM PENH (Cambodia), May 24 : Two separate traffic accidents in Cambodia on Saturday killed at least 14 garment factory workers and injured 93 others, officials said, with most of the victims reported to be women.
The first crash occurred in Kampong Chhnang province, about 60 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, when a heavy cargo truck collided with an open-top vehicle carrying workers to a factory. The Labour Ministry said nine people were killed and 53 injured in that collision.
The second accident took place in Svay Rieng province, a major garment-manufacturing hub in the southeast, where a bus carrying workers veered off the road and overturned, killing five and injuring 40, the ministry added.
Flatbed and open-top trucks are commonly used to transport factory workers in Cambodia. These vehicles often lack seats or benches, forcing passengers to stand and greatly increasing the risk of casualties in crashes.
The Labour Ministry said it was “deeply shocked by two horrific traffic accidents that occurred simultaneously” and urged strict compliance with traffic laws to prevent further tragedies. A Transport Ministry report recorded 1,467 traffic fatalities in 2025, making road accidents the country’s leading cause of accidental death.
Cambodia’s garment sector—its main export earner—employs an estimated 800,000 to 1 million people across some 1,900 factories. The industry, which benefits from low labour costs, generated more than USD 15.5 billion in exports last year, while monthly wages including overtime typically range from about USD 200–300.
