Svay Rieng provincial police officials are seeking to arrest a truck driver who fled the scene of an accident in which 40 garment workers were injured Monday evening after the end of their shifts on the way home.

Hem Samuth, Kampong Ro district police chief, said yesterday that the truck was carrying 50 workers from many factories in the Bavet Special Economic Zone when it experience technical difficulties and collapsed.

“There were 50 workers in the truck when they left their factories and then the truck had the problem with the steering wheel. The driver could not control it and it collapsed on the road to make 36 workers lightly injured and four others seriously,” he said.

“We always tell them to keep only between 25 and 30 workers in one truck and they all have to sit down in order to make it easier for driving, but they never follow our instructions,” he said.

Samuth said that the driver, Keo Sam Oeun, 25, was also injured, but he escaped when he went to the hospital.

“We are looking to arrest him and punish him through the law,” Samuth said.

Accidents during commutes are not uncommon. In the beginning of this month, more than 60 garment workers at Chung Fai Knitwear in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district were injured when their truck tipped over on their way to work.