A nine-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man were killed on Tuesday in Kratie’s Chet Borei district when their ox-cart was hit by a bus travelling from Phnom Penh.

Another six bus passengers suffered injuries from the collision, which also killed the cattle pulling the cart.

The child, Ngery Mengly, and the man, Chhim Ean, were shepherding the animals and died at the scene.

Keang Hong, the provincial director of the referral hospital, said the injured were in a stable condition yesterday afternoon.

Horn Poch, the deputy provincial police chief in charge of public order, told the Post it was believed the 32-year-old bus driver, a Kratie local, was drowsy and lost concentration. He attempted to flee the scene but was caught by villagers, who handed him over to police.

Provincial police said traffic accidents and fatalities in Kratie town had overall decreased by around 17 per cent compared to 2011, a slight trend also evident in national traffic accident figures.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Yuthana at [email protected]