Nov 25, 2007DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodia's king Norodom Sihamoni has sent his personal condolences to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after five young Singaporeans drowned at the nation's annual Water Festival, Tourism Minister Thong Kong said Sunday.
'The king has sent his personal condolences, as has Prime Minister Hun Sen. I too express my deepest sadness to the families and the Singaporean people on behalf of my ministry,' Thong Kong said at the closing ceremony of the three-day river races.
'We all deeply regret such a tragedy could befall those people while they were visitors to Cambodia,' he said.
'It is unthinkable that this could happen at the Water Festival. Many people asked many times to invite foreign teams to compete at this wonderful event, but we must also be able to protect their safety.'
The bodies of the five rowers who were swept away when their boat capsized Friday were recovered earlier Sunday.
Organizers said they could not recall the last time there had been a fatality at the races, which celebrate the end of the monsoon season.
'The king has sent his personal condolences, as has Prime Minister Hun Sen. I too express my deepest sadness to the families and the Singaporean people on behalf of my ministry,' Thong Kong said at the closing ceremony of the three-day river races.
'We all deeply regret such a tragedy could befall those people while they were visitors to Cambodia,' he said.
'It is unthinkable that this could happen at the Water Festival. Many people asked many times to invite foreign teams to compete at this wonderful event, but we must also be able to protect their safety.'
The bodies of the five rowers who were swept away when their boat capsized Friday were recovered earlier Sunday.
Organizers said they could not recall the last time there had been a fatality at the races, which celebrate the end of the monsoon season.
5 comments:
Well, we did everything we can do to keep every one safe. No one had been blown to bits and pieces by suicide bombers.
You must respect Mother Nature and Mother Nature will respect you!
If these Singaporean rowers wore life jackets and the outcome of the tragic story would have been different!
How on Earth people could go to row a boat with no life jacket?
Nope, that would not had saved them if they got sucked down by the swirl current. It just help bring their bodies up to the surface faster after they had been drowned.
Our swift-response team did everything humanly possible to save lives. It is quite unfortunate to have seen theses lives lost like this.
Also, we have to remember that our response team have rescued many lives during the ordeal.
Our hearts and minds and sincere condolences to these victims. And may your souls rest in peace.
Again, our sincere and heartbreaking condolences for the victims and families and friends.
MOI
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