Cambodia marks memorial day for hundreds who died in bridge crush

Nov 25, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Senior government officials laid wreaths on Thursday at a bridge in the capital where hundreds died earlier this week during a crush.

Flags flew at half-mast across the capital as Prime Minister Hun Sen and politicians from all parties laid wreaths and lit incense for 347 revellers known to have died late Monday evening on the final day of the annual Water Festival.

Hundreds of ordinary Cambodians also paid their respects, as did dozens of foreign nationals working in the capital.

At the ceremony, Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema told the German Press Agency dpa that the authorities would learn the lessons for next year.

'You can see the bridge is not (built to) carry thousands and thousands of people,' he said. 'And that's why this disaster happened - it is the very worst.'

'And in my position as the governor of Phnom Penh, I am very sorry to our people and the families (of those dead or injured),' he said.

Earlier the government revised the death toll down to 347, after conflicting reports late Wednesday that the number of dead had reached 456.

Hundreds more were injured when an estimated 8,000 people became trapped on the 100-metre long pedestrian bridge linking mainland Phnom Penh to the Diamond Island entertainment area.

There have been calls for the bridge to be demolished in the wake of the tragedy.

On Wednesday the government issued an appeal for cash and material help for victims of Monday's crush 'in the spirit of solidarity in order to help and share the victims' difficulties.'

Representatives from King Norodom Sihamoni and the ruling party handed out food and clothing to survivors at Phnom Penh's Calmette Hospital on Thursday.

Both the government and the private developer of the Diamond Island complex, which built the small suspension bridge, have denied responsibility for insufficient crowd control measures.

The government said most of the victims suffocated or died from internal injuries when the crowd panicked. A preliminary report stated that chaos ensued after the bridge started swaying.

The crush happened around 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) Monday, the final day of the annual Water Festival, an event that authorities said attracted around 2 million people to the capital, temporarily doubling its population.

An unknown number of people jumped off the bridge, and some people are still believed to be missing.