Monday, November 29, 2010

Counting the cost in Phnom Penh

27th Nov 10
By Harry Oldfield
DiscountVouchers.news (UK)
KI-Media Note: Because of the tragic accident, the government admitted that it had not anticipated the presence of three million people from across the country for three days of festivities. However, we can bet that if there was no accident, the government would boast that it can easily handle the presence of three million people during the festival, would it not?
The Cambodian Prime Minister presided at dawn Thursday over a ceremony of mourning for the victims of the recent stampede. The casualties of the stampede occurred Monday night were reduced Thursday morning from 456 to 347 deaths, including 221 women. The Minister of Social Affairs Ith Samheng, responsible for establishing the casualties under the commission of inquiry into the tragedy, said that some figures from the provinces had been counted twice.

Preliminary findings of the investigation attributed the accident to a sudden fear in the crowd that the bridge would not hold. Prum Sokha, Secretary State Department of the Interior said the deaths occurred because the bridge was crowded and there was a panic that it would collapse because it was suspended by cables and was swinging.

He said that some people started screaming that the bridge was collapsing, that people were being electrocuted and the steel cables had broken, so people began pushing each other and fell over. People had nowhere to flee. Victims suffocated or were trampled to death and others fell into the Tonle Sap River, which joins the Mekong River in the capital.

The government admitted that it had not anticipated the presence of three million people from across the country for three days of festivities. The crowd was crossing the bridge to watch the latest shows, fireworks and racing boats during the water festival, which was meant to thank the Mekong river for feeding the country’s fertile soil and for its abundant fish supply.

The bridge where the tragedy took place connects the capital with the island diamonds, on the Mekong River, and happened during the last day of festivities around the Water Festival.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That what happen when you put an unqualify high rank official in Office. He have no experience. Cant be a teacher if you dont have a degree. Cant be a surgon if you never went to training or school.

The police and security official should be jailed for this tragic event this big.

Anonymous said...

I've talk to many High ranking official in Phnom Penh and they dont know crap. Alway secretly the country tax money, big house and wanted lexus to showoff. Thugs life style official and abuses power. They dont have Ethic and they dont know what ethic is? They have money now and wanted respect!

Anonymous said...

Just like many Khmer people in the US who's own Donuts or Beer store make money and think they are smart(Havard school). They even will play politic to the community. Just remember you are not qualify!

Anonymous said...

KOS PICH Own by HUN SEN and Family under the name Canadia Bank Mr. SEA

Just like TELA GAS Station all over Cambodia which own by BUN RANY HUN SEN under different name..

Anonymous said...

Mr.the minister of interior,how many people should stay on the bridge? How many police officers were in charge on the bridge? If you didn't have enough police officers to manage them, you should
get some more troops from provinces around
the country;hey Mr. Don't know!.