Six Cambodian migrant workers killed, 24 injured in fatal truck crash in Sa Kaeo

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Six Cambodian migrant workers killed and 24 injured in fatal truck crash



SA KAEO: -- Six Cambodian migrant workers died and 24 others were injured after a pickup truck they traveled in skidded and crashed into a roadside power pole in Wattananakhon district of Srakaew province before dawn Wednesday.

The Thai pickup truck driver was said to escalate his overloaded vehicle in bid to avert a hot-pursuit by authorities.

The fatal crash happened at about 2 am today near Kilometres 283-284 on Suvannasorn road in Wattananakhon district.

Sawang Rescue Operation officials said they were alerted of the crash and request for help as many workers were trapped under the overturned pickup truck.

At the scene, they found a badly damaged pickup truck with Bangkok license plate fallen into the ditch and stuck into the power pole which was broken in two parts.

Several dead bodies were scattered around, and many injured crying for help as they were trapped under the overturned vehicle.

Rescue workers have to pull several workers out from the partly submerged truck in the ditch as they also called in other highway rescue teams for help as there were many workers trapped and badly injured.

All 24 injured workers were pulled out. They were rushed to Wattananakhon and Aranyaprathet hospitals.

Of the six died at the scene are three females and three males.

The truck driver was also found in bushes lying unconsciously. He was also taken to hospital and booked for questioning.

An injured Cambodian worker identified as Sukpieb Sworn, 30, said all the Cambodians from Pursat boarded the pickup truck at Rong Klua market in Aranyaprathet to work in Thailand,

But just less than seven kilometers drive out of Aranyaprathet, the truck was chased by Thai authorities in a car.

This promoted the driver to escalate his truck to avoid the chase.

However the truck skidded and lost balance a few minutes after the run. It fell into the ditch and crashed at a power pole and overturned, he said.

Authorities said all the Cambodians are illegal migrant workers and they will face illegal entry charge.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/166491

-- Thai PBS 2016-06-08

[ratcatcher]

Well,sadly, for the 30 sardine Cambodians, the driver escalated his truck up a power pole after it fell into a ditch.. Perhaps they meant accelerated?

He escalated the truck to cause the chase to begin.

0200hrs, trying to sneak around in the middle of the night when he thought they would not be seen.. Sympathy for the poor bloody Cambodians.

[longstebe]

Gotta love the way they mention what will happen to the illegal immigrants but no mention what the driver may face.

[docshock13]

31 in a pickup. Jeez!

[ratcatcher]

31 in a pickup. Jeez!

There are at least 31 on this truck. After all they're just freight.

[Assurancetourix]

Laos - From Hongsa to Sayaburi - december 2007; two farang and 19 lao in and on the pickup

[Ulic]

Of course it is unsafe to carry 30 migrant commuters in the back of a pickup truck so you

would think and driver with an even tiny amount of common sense would drive slowly

and with extra caution. Unfortunately that is not so. RIP to the dead and a full and quick

recovery to the injured.

[tuanku]

Clearly the fault of the authorities for escalating the situation.

[Clamhua]

Seems killing foreigners is becoming a national pastime...

[sawadeeken]

We in America have the same kind of occurances along the Mexican Border. Pitiful.

Semi-truck trailers with 100 illegals inside and no air to breathe on hot desert hiways.

All the 'Human Trafficers' should be donated to ISIS for making their videos. (Good idea - or not?)

While we are at it........ Send ISIS some of the Thai 'LoanSharks' too

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

And how is Thai immigration not catching these people before they are being transported? Close the freaking border if you can't control it! Six people and thousands before would still be alive.

[Norvid]

How many more thousands of people killed on the Thailand roads has to be before real change come from legislative bodies of government and Thai police?

[kannot]

no worry just Cambodians ......phew thats a relief

[Krataiboy]

After Turkey, maybe Cambodia will be invited to join the EU. Britain could do with a few million more immigrants to keep the captains of industry happy..

[Redline]

The driver is watching too many movies. He never had a chance to escape with all those people in the truck. Unless, he knew a hidden road?

[Artisi]

Gotta love the way they mention what will happen to the illegal immigrants but no mention what the driver may face.

Well they were Cambodians so they must be treated differently to the driver, assuming he is Thai and it was just an unfortunate accident.