At least 21 garment workers were killed and five others seriously injured in Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia on Tuesday morning when their van crashed with a tourist bus from Vietnam, local police say.
The Cambodia Daily quoted police officer Koeng Khorn as saying that investigators are still looking into the crash, which occurred at about 7 a.m.
The van was driving the workers to their factory.
The name of the company operating the tourist bus has not been disclosed by the police.
Some sources say the number of deaths has reached 25.
The passengers on the tourist bus reportedly escaped the crash unscathed.
Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, said the garment workers were members of his union and that at least five remained in serious condition.
"We have no hope the five victims will survive because of their serious condition,” he told the Cambodia Daily.
The Phnom Penh Post quoted Svay Rieng Governor Chieng Am as saying that the bus company was the Phnom Penh-based Sun Hour company.
Am added that the bus driver, employed by Sun Hour, had been arrested in the same morning.
“It is the biggest ever accident to happen in my province,” said Am. “I think the number of deaths will increase as it hopeless for those in critical condition.”