Former Cambodian Prime Minister Ranariddh injured in car crash, wife killed

A Cambodian prince who was a candidate in the upcoming general elections was yesterday involved in a fatal road accident that killed his wife and left him severely injured.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 74, was in a convoy along with senior members of his FUNCINPEC party heading toward Sihanoukville in southwest Cambodia on Sunday morning, June 17, 2018, when a taxi traveling in the opposite direction slammed into his SUV, said a senior party member in the group.

Ranariddh suffered head injuries and was transferred to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, for urgent treatment, Sihanoukville police chief Gen. Chuon Narin said. Then, early Monday, he was transferred to a hospital in neighboring Thailand.

His wife, 39-year-old Ouk Phalla, who was also standing as a candidate in Cambodia's general election next month, died in a hospital after the crash.

A politician familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Ranariddh suffered broken ribs. The politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, said Ranariddh was flown to Bangkok at 1 a.m. Monday for medical care on request from the country's Royal Palace. Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni is Ranariddh's half-brother.

Fresh News, a news agency close to the government, also reported that Ranariddh had been taken to Thailand. Nhep Bun Chin, a FUNCINPEC spokesman, said Ranariddh's condition had improved, but declined to confirm his evacuation to Bangkok.

Ranariddh was Cambodia's co-prime minister for four years in an uneasy power-sharing arrangement with Hun Sen after his party won a United Nations-organized election in 1993.