Pchum Ben: Over 20 Fatalities in Traffic Accidents
A total of 22 people have died in traffic accidents during the three-day holiday of Pchum Ben. Photo: National Police
- By Chhum Chantha
- October 17, 2023 11:51 AM
PHNOM PENH – A total of 22 people have died in traffic accidents during the three-day holiday of Pchum Ben.
Drunk driving, speeding, not wearing a helmet, competing with other drivers and not driving on the right-hand side of the road all feature in the road accident records of the General Commissariat of National Police.
Pchum Ben is the holiest holiday of the year, in which Cambodians gather with their families and offer food and prayers to the monks at the pagoda. It is one of the biggest occasions, along with Khmer New Year, when people travel across provinces to meet with their relatives.
In addition to the fatalities, 79 people have been seriously injured in road accidents in the country. Most of the casualties involve male drivers.
While the number of deaths is lower than in 2022 – when 27 people died in accidents during the three-day festival – the number of injured increased by 22. A total of 57 people were reportedly injured on the road last year.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Rin Ousa for Cambodianess.
