Seventeen workers were injured in a road accident at the Baku intersection in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district on Wednesday.

The director of Division 2 of a working group tasked with analysing accidents, Chea Phirun, told The Post from the scene that, according to measurements and witnesses’ testimony, the accident was caused by the driver of a lorry transporting pigs.

He said the driver was not driving carefully and hit a lorry transporting workers at the traffic light.

Phirun said before police arrived at the scene, the offending driver fled. Both lorries were taken to the Phnom Penh Traffic Police Office.

The victims were taken to Chey Chumneas Hospital and Sok Leap Metrey Polyclinic in Takhmao town, Kandal province.

“At this time, police are searching for the driver or owner of the offending lorry through the licence plate,” he said.

National Social Security Fund (NSSF) spokesman Heng Sophanarith told The Post that after he learned of the accident, the NSSF team immediately organised the transportation of the injured workers to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Seven workers were seriously injured and 10 suffered minor injuries.

“Generally all workers are required to undergo medical checkups or treatment at hospitals, health centres or clinics in NSSF’s network.

“But in instances like this, they need to be taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. Saving their lives is the most important thing,” he said.

Sophanarith said the victims are employed by Sky Hill Apparel Co Ltd, which is located in Prey Sar commune’s Anlong Kong village in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district.

An administrative assistant of the company, Hem Rika, told The Post that the accident affected the factory’s production line because the victims were unable to return to work.

Rika called on the authorities to accelerate the search for the driver or the owner of the pig-transporting lorry to deal with the workers’ compensation and the other driver, who is associated with the factory.