Two people were killed in a fiery crash when they collided with a gas tanker in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district on Monday night.

Im Vuthea, 22, of Preah Sihanouk, and Sat Samith, 20, of Phnom Penh, were travelling from Preah Sihanouk to Phnom Penh, as a Soximex truck travelling in the opposite direction slammed into them head-on, provincial traffic police chief Prum Pov said yesterday.

The truck driver continued forward after the collision, dragging the motorbike underneath, Pov said.

Although the truck was not carrying any gas in its cargo tank, sparks from the motorbike caught onto gas from the truck’s own vehicular tank, causing the deceased to catch fire as the truck ran them over.

“The truck driver fled on foot from the truck after the accident,” Pov said. “We brought the truck and motorbike to the police station, and are waiting for people to claim them.”

Police released the bodies of Vuthea and Samith to their families, so they can hold a funeral, Preah Sihanouk police chief Choun Narin said yesterday.