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PHNOM PENH – In a tragic incident on Thursday, a passenger bus in Cambodia veered off a bridge and plunged into a river, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 individuals and injuring around 24 others, according to local police reports.
The ill-fated bus was en route from Siem Reap, renowned for its iconic Angkor Wat temple complex, to the nation’s capital, Phnom Penh. The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning in Kampong Thom province, as confirmed by Siv Sovanna, the deputy police chief, during a phone interview with The Associated Press.
All passengers aboard the bus were Cambodian citizens, according to the police chief.
Initial findings from the investigation indicate that the driver may have been experiencing fatigue following the nighttime departure from Siem Reap. The trip typically takes around five and a half hours. It remains unclear whether the driver is among the casualties.
The bus was carrying approximately 40 passengers, and rescue teams continued their search on Thursday to locate any additional victims in the aftermath of the crash.
The bodies of the dead would be kept at a hospital near the site of the crash until they could be picked up by their relatives, Siv Sovanna said.
Traffic crashes in Cambodia killed 1,509 people in 2024, while 1,062 people were killed in the first nine months of 2025 in the country, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
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