Train Derails in Battambang, Nearly 200,000 Liters of Diesel Spill, Villagers Rush to Collect

A train derailed in Battambang province, western Cambodia, around noon on September 19, causing approximately 200,000 liters of diesel fuel to spill from three tanks. The incident led to dozens of villagers rushing to collect the spilled fuel. The accident occurred on a cargo train belonging to Tela Cambodia, which was transporting fuel from Phnom Penh to a storage facility in Battambang province. Of the four tank cars, three carrying diesel and one carrying gasoline derailed. It is estimated that a total of approximately 198,000 liters of diesel spilled from the three tanks. The tank carrying gasoline was not damaged. According to train personnel, the preliminary cause of the accident is believed to be the softening of the ground beneath the railway due to heavy rainfall in the preceding days. This led to the wheels of the train derailing while in motion. The spilled diesel flowed like a river, filling a nearby ditch, and dozens of villagers gathered with containers and canisters to collect it. Despite the extreme danger, including the risk of fire, the villagers were engrossed in collecting the fuel. Authorities dispatched multiple fire trucks to the scene in preparation for a potential fire, but fortunately, no human casualties were reported. Technical staff from the railway company are currently working to lift the derailed tank cars and repair the railway. Source: Koh Santep Khmer