AFP
Hundreds die in Cambodia stampede The death toll from a bridge stampede during a busy festival in the Cambodian capital has risen to 456, as the victims' grieving relatives expressed anger about security at the event.
Authorities continue to investigate why throngs of revellers panicked, crushing and trampling people underfoot on an overcrowded narrow bridge in Phnom Penh.
The government admitted it had overlooked issues of crowd control at the three-day event, which attracted some three million revellers to the capital from all over Cambodia.
"We were concerned about the possibilities of boats capsizing and pick-pocketing... we did not think about this kind of incident," said government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.
He said a private firm had been in charge of security on the island and the bridge where the disaster unfolded.
"The place is private, so they used their own security, and police only helped handle order outside," Mr Kanharith said.
The firm managing the island refused to comment except to say that it had been questioned by an investigating committee set up by the government.
Searching for answers
As the first funerals and cremations began taking place across the country, bewildered relatives searched for answers.
"I feel very sad and angry about what happened," Phea Channara said at a funeral service for his 24-year-old sister on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
"I wonder if the police really did their job. Why did they allow it to happen in the first place?"
Waiter Choy Bora said he was frustrated with the security response as he watched the clean-up operation of the bridge which had been littered with discarded flip-flops, items of clothing and water bottles after the crush.
At the entrance to the now notorious crossing, still closed off to the public, locals in the mostly Buddhist country burned incense and prayed for the souls of the deceased.
They laid out flowers, cake and bananas as offerings.
Exuberant festival-goers had been crossing the bridge to reach an island hosting concerts, food stalls and ice sculptures when the stampede began.
It was not immediately clear what had triggered the disaster, but Mr Kanharith said a rumour had spread among revellers that the bridge was unstable.
He said many of the deaths were caused by suffocation and internal injuries. About two-thirds of those killed were women.
The event, which saw hundreds of brightly coloured boats take part in races on the Tonle Sap, is popular with tourists but the government said no foreigners were believed to be among the victims.
Prime minister Hun Sen has described the disaster as Cambodia's worst tragedy since the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 reign of terror, which killed up to a quarter of the population. Thursday will be a national day of mourning.
He also said that a memorial stupa will be built "to commemorate the souls of the people who lost their lives in the incident... and to remember the serious tragedy for the nation and the Cambodian people".
4 comments:
The police in Cambodia is only good at beating up people and collecting brides. When it comes to maintaining security, they are unable and unwilling to do anything.
Dictator Hun Xen and youn Hanoi were behinde the stampende on 22.11.2010 after K5!!!They are murder!!!!
pouk ah police to blind to see to many people in one place ? you idiots only see people pocket.
Your Majesty Samdech Ta former King Norodom Sihanouk,
Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen,
Thank you for your both kindness and understanding.
What we need is prevention methods, not to let this type of accident happen again in the future.
It also makes me very worried to see so much alcohol allowed to enter or be produced in our beloved Kingdom of Cambodia? What about “ YA BA “ and other types of DRUGS from Thailand and Vietnam?
Can His Majesty Samdech Ta and Samdech Hun Sen stop all sorts of drugs coming to Cambodia? The accident may not be related to drugs and alcohol but just some thing that I could not sleep peacefully from now on to the future, in the names sake of true Khmer citizen.
Can Samdech Hun Sen kindly ask all 5 million Vietnamese illegal immigrants to peacefully return to Vietnam, so Koh Pich will not be too crowded more and more every day, every month and every year to come.
All Vietnamese illegal immigrants can easily come in and settle inside Cambodia even though they already have their own country Vietnam.
When Cambodia is too crowded, definitely we Khmer people can not go to settle inside Vietnam, can we?
Please Vietnamese, you said you came to rescue us from Pol Pot, and you don’t want to return home, it is not right according to 23rd October 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, can all of you go back to your country now.
Vietnamese illegal immigrants, you see because 5 million of you are inside Cambodia, it makes us too crowded and we wasted our lives at Koh Pich without good reasons.
Your Vietnamese Communism expansionist mind in Cambodia, is to give an excuse to China mainland to occupy your Spratly Islands, Parcel Islands, the whole of your Eastern sea border and perhaps the Northern border sooner or later.
5 million Vietnamese illegal immigrants in Cambodia, please go back home to defend your country from Chinese mighty economic invasion.
May I pray to God and the Lord Jesus Christ that those who have lost loved one will be comforted.
My condolences to all the victim's family.
Regards,
Kulen Monorom
(The rice farmer's son)
Post a Comment