Cambodian crashes kill 14 garment workers, injure 79
At least 14 garment factory workers died and 79 others, mostly women, were injured in two separate traffic collisions in Cambodia.
The garment industry is Cambodia’s main export earner, and low labor costs provide a competitive advantage.
Salaries, including overtime, typically range from $200 ($A280) to $300 ($A420) per month.
The first incident occurred in Kampong Chhnang province, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Phnom Penh, when a heavy cargo truck crashed into an open-top truck carrying workers to their factory.
According to the statement made by the Ministry of Labor, 9 people died and 44 people were injured.
The second accident occurred in the southeastern province of Svay Rieng, one of Cambodia’s main garment factory centres.
A bus carrying workers left the road and overturned, killing five people and injuring 35 people.
Flatbed trucks are the usual method of transportation available for workers.
Often the absence of seats or benches forces passengers to stand, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death.
In the statement made by the Ministry of Labor, it was stated that 74 of the 93 accident victims were women, and this figure roughly matches the rate of women in the garment industry.
The Ministry of Labor stated that it was “deeply shocked by two terrible traffic accidents that occurred at the same time” and called for strict compliance with traffic rules to prevent accidents.
A Ministry of Transport report states that 1,467 people will die in traffic accidents in 2025, making it by far the leading cause of accidental deaths in the Southeast Asian country.
Cambodia’s garment industry, consisting of clothing and footwear, employs an estimated 800,000 to one million people in approximately 1,900 factories.
Production accounted for more than US$15.5 billion ($21.7 billion) in exports last year, according to the country’s Ministry of Commerce.
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
