Two people were killed and another five injured at about 5am yesterday after a Mekong Express van crashed head-on into a parked truck loaded with sand in Battambang province, police said.

Heang Rasinh, the deputy traffic chief for Battambang’s Thma Koul district, where the accident took place, said that the two people were killed after being crushed inside the van, which was on the way to Poipet.

“The drivers of both vehicles, the van and the truck, escaped before authorities arrived at the site, but witnesses and victims claimed the van hit the truck, which was parked on the sidewalk, from behind,” he said.

The two fatalities were Hun Mar Ne, a 25-year-old woman, and Huoy Pheng, a 57-year-old man. The five who suffered injuries were sent to a nearby private clinic, except for one who was sent to Thailand.

Sin Sisaket, administrative director of the Mekong Express Company, said that he and other staffers were visiting the injured at the hospital.

“It is the first time that our company is unlucky like this after 20 years,” said Sisaket. “We are very sorry and we send our condolences to the dead victims’ families for the incident.”

Sisaket said the victims would be compensated by the company’s insurance firm. He added that the sand-filled truck was parked “without giving any lights and signs”.