The deadliest accident occurred in central Kampong Chhnang province, about 60 km (37 miles) north of Phnom Penh, when a heavy cargo truck collided with an open-top vehicle carrying garment factory workers to work, killing nine people and injuring 53 others, according to Cambodia’s Labor Ministry.

In a separate incident in southeastern Svay Rieng province, a major garment manufacturing hub near the Vietnamese border, a bus transporting workers veered off the road and overturned. Five workers were killed and 40 others were injured, authorities said.

Most of the victims in both accidents were women employed in Cambodia’s garment industry, one of the country’s largest employers and a key source of foreign exchange earnings.

The Labor Ministry said it was “deeply shocked” by the two accidents, which occurred on the same day, and called for stricter adherence to traffic regulations to reduce road fatalities.

Worker transportation remains a longstanding safety challenge in Cambodia, where many laborers travel to factories aboard modified flatbed or open-top trucks that often lack adequate seating and safety protections. The vehicles are widely used because they offer a low-cost transportation option for workers earning relatively modest wages.

Cambodia’s garment sector, which includes clothing, footwear and travel goods manufacturing, employs between 800,000 and 1 million workers across roughly 1,900 factories. The industry generated more than $15.5 billion in export revenue last year, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

Factory workers typically earn between $200 and $300 per month, including overtime pay, making affordable transportation a critical issue for both employees and employers.

Road safety remains a major public concern in the Southeast Asian nation. According to Cambodia’s Transport Ministry, traffic accidents claimed 1,467 lives in 2025, making road crashes the leading cause of accidental deaths in the country.

The latest fatalities are likely to renew scrutiny of worker transport practices and broader road safety standards as Cambodia seeks to sustain growth in its export-oriented manufacturing sector.

Wang told Tajani that China is prepared to work with Italy to unlock further “potential” in bilateral ties, signalling interest in deepening collaboration despite broader shifts in global trade dynamics.

China is open to expanding cooperation in areas including e-commerce, agriculture and food, healthcare and the development of industrial parks, the commerce ministry said, outlining sectors seen as key to future engagement.

The meeting reflects ongoing efforts by Beijing to sustain and diversify trade relationships with European partners, as global supply chains and geopolitical alignments continue to evolve.