Truck crashes into Cambodian outdoor market: 6 killed

A truck carrying a hundred containers of acid plowed into a roadside market in northwestern Cambodia, splashing the hazardous substance onto passersby and killing six people, including a 4-year-old girl, police said Tuesday.

Photo: Truck crashes into Cambodian outdoor market: 6 killed

Eleven others were injured by the crash, which occurred Saturday in Pursat province, about 165 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital Phnom Penh, said Ngan Vanmy, a police officer from the area.

The truck was traveling at high speed, trying to overtake another vehicle when one of its tires blew out, forcing it to veer off the road and into the market.

It was carrying about 100 plastic containers, each holding about 30 liters (8 gallons) of acid, the police officer said. He did not immediately know what type of acid the truck was transporting.

"Some people were crushed by the vehicle," Ngan Vanmy said. "Many plastic containers burst, splashing the acid on other people who were buying and selling goods."

The driver and two passengers fled the scene after pulling themselves from the vehicle. Many of the injured remained in critical condition.

Traffic accidents, caused mostly by drunken driving and violations of traffic rules, kill about 1,000 people every year in Cambodia, reports the AP.

I.L.