Ship crash

A ferry transporting about 600 tonnes of cement from Thailand sank on Sunday night after crashing into part of the Koh Kong bridge, officials said yesterday.

Sous Rasak, a traffic police official stationed on the bridge, said the accident had occurred  about 11pm when the rope connecting the ferry to its tugboat snapped, leaving the ferry to careen into two of the trusses under the bridge, causing it to capsize.

“When it happened, the water was flowing strongly, so when the rope cut off, the ferry crashed into the bridge,” he said, adding that nobody was injured in the crash.

Sous Rasak said that he did not know the name of the firm importing the cement, but estimated the cost of cement at US$70 a tonne. He said the company would also be responsible for damage caused to the bridge.

Provincial governor Bun Loert said he had not yet received official information about the accident, as he had just returned from the capital.

Lou Kim Chhun, director-general of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, said he had no information about the crash and did not know if the ferry had been bound for his port.