Three workers were killed yesterday afternoon in Banteay Meanchey province when the excavators they were operating in a rock quarry were crushed by falling stones, local authorities said.

Khim Mara, O’Prasat commune chief, identified the men as explosives expert Lim Lom, 52, and excavator operators Lim Kimlong, 26, and Thong Sitha, 36. The company is owned by Lim Heng, who was granted an official licence to operate the quarry, Mara added.

“The three workers were working overtime at about 12 when the stones fell and crushed their excavators and the workers, leaving three workers dead and completely destroying two excavators,” he said.

“We almost could not identify their bodies because their bodies were mangled, and one of the excavators was almost buried by stones.”

Mara said that hundreds of tonnes of stone had tumbled down onto the excavators from a height of about 50 metres, and it took authorities three hours to retrieve the men’s bodies.

“It would have fallen on five people, but two other workers got lucky; when they heard the stone collapse, they ran for their lives,” he added.

Nhoung Samon, Mongkol Borei deputy district police chief, said the company was operating the business alongside the army’s engineering section.