BEN DOHERTY
The Armidale Express
The OCIC in turn laid blame with the government's police force. "It happened mainly near Diamond Island, but - not really on the island," a project manager, Susi Tani, said.PHNOM PENH: The short, narrow suspension bridge that links Phnom Penh with Diamond Island has not re-opened, but it hardly matters. Few are likely to walk on it again.
The Khmers of Cambodia are Buddhists, but they hold strongly to ancient animist beliefs. The bridge is a bad place now. The spirits of those killed - the 347 who died when a crowd celebrating the water festival stampeded here on Monday night - will keep people away.
Sopheap Meng has come back one last time to farewell his brother. They were together when the panic hit.
He gripped Sovaan's hand as tightly as he could, fighting the crush that pushed him to the ground. "But there was no air; I could not breathe. I got pushed to the side of the bridge. People were falling all around, onto my arm, so I had to let go."
Dragged out by police, it was hours before he found his brother. Sovaan's corpse, bruised and bloodied, was among the crush of lifeless bodies on Rainbow Bridge.
Sopheap lives with his family north of the capital in Kandal province. He will not return to this bridge again. "Never," he says.
All week, this city has sought a way to cope. Monks have held vigils, family members have burned incense, flowers and fruit have been left by the water's edge.
It is a city still in shock.
The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, said it was Cambodia's "greatest tragedy in more than 31 years after the Pol Pot regime".
Under the Khmer Rouge leader a quarter of the population, an estimated 1.7 million people, was killed from 1975 to 1979.
"I ask you all to understand me and forgive me for this very bad situation," Mr Sen said.
The Khmer Rouge wiped out a generation of Cambodia's best and brightest. It targeted the educated.
This week, again, it is the country's future that has born the brunt of tragedy.
This disaster took the young. Most of those killed - 221 of the 347 - were girls, physically unable to resist the crush of human bodies pushing them to the ground.
The government has pre-empted its own inquiry, due to report next week, by saying it was a rumour that the bridge was about to collapse that began the stampede.
As the panic grew, the mass of people on the bridge pressed closer together as everyone fought to find a way out.
People began to lose consciousness. Those who fell were trampled under the hundreds of feet of helpless people being pushed backwards and forwards by the force of the crowd.
Afterwards, most of the dead were found here, on the bridge. Bodies were four and five deep in places.
Some had sought refuge by jumping from the bridge into the water. Some drowned - it is believed they fell unconscious into the river - but most of those who jumped survived. The water was barely waist deep.
The finger pointing over who is to blame has begun in earnest.
The government has admitted overcrowding on the narrow bridge was not a contingency it had planned for.
"We were concerned about the possibilities of boats capsizing and pick-pocketing. We did well, but we did not think about this kind of incident," a spokesman, Khieu Kanharith, conceded.
But he said security on the three bridges that span Phnom Penh and Diamond Island, also known as Koh Pich, was the responsibility of the company that built them, the island's developer, the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC).
The OCIC in turn laid blame with the government's police force. "It happened mainly near Diamond Island, but - not really on the island," a project manager, Susi Tani, said.
"For the policing [responsibility], it is the government. We built the bridge; we are not responsible for the public. What we try doing is assist the public. We don't have the right to control the public."
One hundred and six private security guards and 12 police officers were on Diamond Island on Monday night, jointly responsible, it seems, for crowd control.
But as the night of celebrations reached a climax, and the crowd grew larger and larger, it appeared no one was in control.
Sopheap Meng wants answers, and he wants someone to blame. He knows he will probably have neither.
"Our family is very sad. We cannot believe this has happened … it should never have happened. My brother shouldn't have died."
27 comments:
I think the Mayor and Police Chief got to be responsible for this . Those people got to be fired or resigned from their jobs.
It is the choice of Cambodian people. It is the scaring , weak in mind of Cambodian people. They are scared to do something good to their nation afraid of being killed. They are scared to die with honor, but killed like bridge stampede no problem for them.
It was a lesson and bad experience for us as Khmer born and the Cambodian government.
We should learn from this tragedy and do the best for a better of our Khmer nation.
Cambodian police are good in beating up peaceful demonstration , stopping people from getting together to express their feellings , kicking people out of their houses so they can give land to the developing companies , but when thing like this happens they don't know what to do. They took hours to get to those victims. How much longer do people in Cambodia trust their government in helping them when they need help ?
some one need to be sake to build trust in the public againt and release anger from the people.
Please use your valuable time to do some thing for our people and don't lost time to blame.
Not only the Government of Cambodia but we all as Khmer descents have a small responsible & right to take care and protect the life of our brother & sisters.
Get out of the stoneage Cambodians!
Who still believes in Ghosts in 2010?
Oh my Buddha ;)
What Mr Kanharith said with TOR TOR Kor TV interview is dumb stupid. One phrase he stated that "This bridge is bridge "YOUL" but thoses victims don't know what this meaning means, that why it will caused the accident....... (like child), he added.
This accident caused by 2 factors:
1) construction (15%)
2) authaurities (85%)
4:57 PM
you have quite right about those polices to our khmer blood. I come from army forces dynasty all of my famil dislike polices task (good police we all respect, in police it has more bad in Cambodia). In Lon Nol Govt. we called them as "boilled cock" in Khmer "Man Sgnou".
The main cause of the tragedy is the chain rope at one end of the bridge to prevent motorcycle crossing.
The authority should have taken down the chain rope during the chaos. Yes, the Phnom Penh authorities and the police are responsible for the tragic preventable death. The authorities left the areas for drinking and they didn't take down the chain.
ហ៊ុនសែនវាមិនដែលគិតថាខ្លួនវាជាខ្មែរទេ
ហើយវាគិតថាខ្មែរមួយម៉ឺននាក់មិនស្មើនឺងយួនមួយ
ក្បាលផង។
ការស្លាប់និងរង្គ្រោះរបស់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរលើក
នេះមិនមែនតែលើកទីមួយទេគឹលើកទីបួនហើយ
សម្រាប់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរទូទាំងពិភពលោក។
ហ៊ុនសែនវាជារដ្ឋាភិបាលខួរក្បាលបង្កងធ្វើអីក៍មិន
កើតភ្នែកក៍ខ្វាក់អវិជ្ជាថែមទៀតនៅក្នុងខួរក្បាលវា
មានតែបណ្ដាំបីមាត់របស់ អាក្រពើ ហ៊ូ ជីមិញ
លួច កាប់ និងសម្លាប់ ដើម្បីសម្រេចគោល
នយោបាយរបស់វាវាបានប្រើធម៍ត្រជាក់និងក្ដៅលា
យឡំគ្នា។អាឆ្កែ ជក់ម៉ា វាជាអភិបាលក្រុងបែរ
ជាមិនដឹងរឿងហេតការណ៍ទៅវិញ អាក្បាលទំ
ពែកដេកតែចុយស្រីយួន។ ចំណែកអាទូច
នរកវិញ ជាស្នងការនគរបាលក្រុង គ្មានការ
រៀបចំសន្តិសុខដល់ប្រជាជនទាល់តែសោះ
ជាពិសេសនៅថ្ងៃបុណ្យទានផ្សេងๆ ។
សូមដួងវិញ្ញាណនក្ខន្ឋពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទាំងអស់
មេត្តាតាមព្យាបាទកាច់បំបាក់កពួកអាកញ្ចះយួន
នេះផងដើម្បីឲ្យកូនខ្មែរជំនាន់ក្រោយបានទទួល
បាននូវសន្តិភាព សេរីភាព និង ភាពចំរុង
ចំរើនដល់សង្គមខ្មែរទាំងមូលផង៕
ដើម្បីបំបាត់ពូជអាយ៉ងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរត្រូវបំបាត់
អាយ៉ងនៅយៀកណាមជាមុនសិន
ហ៊ុនសែនវាមិនដែលគិតថាខ្លួនវាជាខ្មែរទេ
ហើយវាគិតថាខ្មែរមួយម៉ឺននាក់មិនស្មើនឺងយួនមួយ
ក្បាលផង។
ការស្លាប់និងរង្គ្រោះរបស់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរលើក
នេះមិនមែនតែលើកទីមួយទេគឹលើកទីបួនហើយ
សម្រាប់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរទូទាំងពិភពលោក។
ហ៊ុនសែនវាជារដ្ឋាភិបាលខួរក្បាលបង្កងធ្វើអីក៍មិន
កើតភ្នែកក៍ខ្វាក់អវិជ្ជាថែមទៀតនៅក្នុងខួរក្បាលវា
មានតែបណ្ដាំបីមាត់របស់ អាក្រពើ ហ៊ូ ជីមិញ
លួច កាប់ និងសម្លាប់ ដើម្បីសម្រេចគោល
នយោបាយរបស់វាវាបានប្រើធម៍ត្រជាក់និងក្ដៅលា
យឡំគ្នា។អាឆ្កែ ជក់ម៉ា វាជាអភិបាលក្រុងបែរ
ជាមិនដឹងរឿងហេតការណ៍ទៅវិញ អាក្បាលទំ
ពែកដេកតែចុយស្រីយួន។ ចំណែកអាទូច
នរកវិញ ជាស្នងការនគរបាលក្រុង គ្មានការ
រៀបចំសន្តិសុខដល់ប្រជាជនទាល់តែសោះ
ជាពិសេសនៅថ្ងៃបុណ្យទានផ្សេងๆ ។
សូមដួងវិញ្ញាណនក្ខន្ឋពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទាំងអស់
មេត្តាតាមព្យាបាទកាច់បំបាក់កពួកអាកញ្ចះយួន
នេះផងដើម្បីឲ្យកូនខ្មែរជំនាន់ក្រោយបានទទួល
បាននូវសន្តិភាព សេរីភាព និង ភាពចំរុង
ចំរើនដល់សង្គមខ្មែរទាំងមូលផង៕
ដើម្បីបំបាត់ពូជអាយ៉ងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរត្រូវបំបាត់
អាយ៉ងនៅយៀកណាមជាមុនសិន
Its time for Mr Hun Sen to stop down.
He been there too long, gotten too fat. Instead of changes and improvement, Only curruptions and instablility after 30 years.
He can't even keep a bridge crossing satety in tak.
ពួកអាអស់នេះនិយាយចេញមកគឺមានតែក្តរវាទេដែលចេះជាងគេជាងឯង ។ តែពួកអាក្តរឯងអស់នេះ ពេលកំពុងកើតហេតុមិនដឹងដេកសាប់ក្តរហ្អែងនៅក្រហែងណាទេ ។ កើតហេតុហើយ ក៏ពួកអាក្តរហ្អែងមិនបោចម៉ាមីសក្តរហ្អែងជួយគ្នាដែរ ។ អញទ្រលាន់និងអាពាក្យអាយ៉ងអីហ្នឹងណាស់ ។ បើខ្មែរអាយ៉ងយួន ម៉េចយួនមិនចាប់អូសក្បាលពួកអាហ្អែងអស់ហ្នឹងដេកគុកស្រុកវា? អាភ្លើ! យី ពួកអាអាវលឿងស្រុកខ្មែរអស់នេះ ។
សមត្ថកិច្ច នៃរដ្ធាភិបាលអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួន ហ៊ុន សែន ដែលមាន ទាហាន ប៉ូលីស ប៉េអឹម ពេល ដែលបញ្ជូនទៅរៀននៅស្រុកយួន យួនមិន ដែលបានហ្វឹកហ្វឺនផ្នែកជួយសង្គ្រោះជីវិតទេ
យួនគិតតែហ្វឹកហ្វឺនផ្នែក បាញ់, កំទេច,សម្លាប់, ពិឃាត, ប្រហារជីវិត, ផ្ដាច់ជីវិត, បំផ្លាញ,ច្បាម, ឆក់, ប្លន់, ដណ្ដើមយក, កៀបសង្កត់, សង្កត់សង្កិន, ជិះជាន់, បង្ក្រាប, វាយ, ទាត់, ធាក់ ។ល។
បើមិនជឿសួរ ពួកអាមកពីហ្វឹកហ្វឺន ពីស្រុកយួន ១០០ ថាដូចគ្នាទាំង ១០០ ។
សូមប្រសិទ្ធិនាមកោះពេជ្រ ជា :
"កោះពេជ្ឈឃាដ ស្ពានមរណៈ
អាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនបីក្បាល ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម
បើគ្មានសមត្តភាពទេ ល្មមចុះចេញទុកឱ្យ លោកសម រង្ស៊ី
ធ្វើម្ដងហើយ។
ភស្ដុតាងពិឃាតជីវិតមនុស្ស របស់រដ្ឋាភិបាល ហ៊ុន សែន មានគ្រប់គ្រាន់នៅជុំវិញសារពត៌មានពិភពលោកនេះ
ចាំមើល មើល
តើរដ្ឋាភិបាល ហ៊ុន សែន និងបង្វិលរឿងនេះ
ទៅរកអ្នកណាឱ្យទទួលទោសជំនួស ?
ចាំមើលគេចេញមុខ រៀបចំបត់ចុះបត់ឡើង យ៉ាងណាទៀត ?
If by the government's wish, it is business as usual and no one will be punished either. The let ignorant people will continue to lead in this country.
The bridge is a neutral structure it inherit no ill of its own. It was smart enough when it was overloaded by trembling straining to hold up the people on it. In doing so it gave warning that it can only bare so much weight at one time.
There are no ghosts hovering over the bridge. But there are "ghosts" that are of the demonic origin residing all over the world. Ghosts are not your deceased, but are demonic beings that keep people in fear.
The Bible has the answer to "ghosts" beings. You can find out by going to the book of Revelation chapter 12,13 at biblegateway.com. when u read of the third stars of heaven were cast down to the earth, it is referring to fallen angels who rebel against God and became demonic in nature; Satan being their leader.
For those who thinks I'm "pitiful" by sharing the truth on this blog; How about all the miseries that has befallen on our nation? Aren't you pitiful for that?
I am pitiful because of spiritual blindness of the Cambodian people. I emphasize spiritual above political. After all, we human beings are spiritual in nature. Most of us has Paradise dream in our hearts but how to enter into that Paradise bliss is not a matter of speculation, it requires a Key. Since I know the Key to the Kingdom of Paradise I'm passionate to reveal to all that has ears to hear, especially through this media.
If I didn't care I could have said, 'damn you all Cambodians, you deserve what you deserve.' And in away, we deserve what we had coming because of spiritual blindness.
For those who have ears to hear and eyes that can see I invite you to listen to this program at: www.tsiyon.org
Eliyahu and Dawn been discussing the seed of the serpent, the original sin. If you have humility in your heart, you will be fascinated with these topics that are free to listen to. The latest one is on Antideluvian World, (before the great flood).
By the WORD of God this world will be Judge and has been Judged, you would due well to know the truth because a greater judgment is coming upon this earth.
Hurry on to Tsiyon.org before you have limited access to these free programs. Noah and his sons survived the flood so they would have known what it was like before the flood concerning the Paradise of God. And why the land of Israel is called Holy Land and when God has sanctified the land cleanse it from all it corruptions; all blessings will flow from Israel into all the nations on earth at that time set to come.
Hun Sen and those who are responsible should take the first step to walk across the bridge.
Believe or not, the spirits will judge their exit.
គិតទៅអាចុយម៉្រាយគណបក្សប្រឆាំងពួកអាឆ្កែឯង
នៅស្លាប់នៅឯណា?ម្តេចមិនអញ្ជើញងើបក្តក្តិតមកជួយប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរផង?ដែលលោកកំពុងតែមានសោកនដកម្មដ៏គួរឲ្យសង្វេកនេះទៅឬក៏ពួកអារ៍ទាំងនេះវា
កំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?បើស្មានទៅអាពួកនេះវាប្រហែលជានៅ
កំពុងចុយប្រពន្ធពួកវាហើយមើលទៅបានជាពួកវាដក
ក្តចេញពីកន្តួយប្រពន្ធពួកវាមិនបាន។នៅចុយក្តិតប្រពន្ធពួកអាអ្ហែងទៅប្រយ័ត្នប្រពន្ធវាមិនឲ្យចុយ
កន្តួយទៀត។ពួកអាទាំងនេះចង់តែចាប់ប្រពន្ធពួកវាមកចុយឲ្យរហែកកន្តួយប្រពន្ធរបស់ពួកអា
ប្រឆាំងឲ្យអស់កុំឲ្យវាបង្កើតអាពួកអគតិថែមទៀត។
in tragic accident like this, investigation should look at the contributing factors that led up to it, e.g. the crowd of thousands of people on a narrow bridge, etc. yes, think of exit strategy in a crowded place, if you can't see one or can't escape, then common sense dictates that you shouldn't go into it and tell other or remind others not to keep on going into it, ok! yes, it's all common sense, you know! use it because god gave us all common sense mentality, and it's all in everyone of us, human beings, ok! if you blame the bridge, then people think your's crazy, ok. well, in the case of police, guards, etc, they should look into whether they did not do their job or derelicted their job by going on a drinking binge, etc... and someone mentioned the end of the bridge was chained off and continued to be chained off during all of this to keep moto off, then that aspect only is the police's responsibility to make sure it was removed, especially during this special celebration and so forth, you know! they should look into all factors that led up to this sad event! that's all!
yes, in a huge crowd like this, all it takes is one drugged or drunk or crazy individual to start a stampede, really! and you know how it is, in any stampede, once it got started, there's no holding back, you know! yes, it never happened in cambodia before, only overseas, but now we saw it all. yes, be better prepared next time around. yes, life does go on, you know! peace to all!
people believe in ghost too much, that can be detrimental to their own personal growth and development. i, personally, don't believe in ghost, although, i think ghost do exist,but they're not necessarily evil ghost. remember if ghost exists at all, their re in a spiritula form, so they can't harm you or touch you, etc as they are not physical in appearance like a living person. so, be strong the chase the evil ghost away and don't let it get in the way of your personal growth and development, ok!
If you mother fuck want to help people why are you motherfucker didn't come to helping all Khmer people or you motherfucker just known how to talk only.
The LAW ENFORCEMENT has the ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES to SERVE and PROTECT all citizens.
Ah choy marai kon me somphoerung youn 1:58am so duump ,who gonna help Ah youn me youn stupid cpp .
All the officials related to this should be promoted LIke----
1. The KING---- KINGDOM of MONKEY at WAT PHNOM--should stay there
2. HUN SEN--SHould be the KING
3. Sar Kheng should be the PRIME MINSTER
4. Minster of HEalth -- Should be the Deputy Prime Minister
5. NHET SAVOEUN -- SHOULD BE Minster of Interior
6. TOUCH NAROT Should be National Police Chiefs
7. KEO CHUTIMA or KE0 CHU MA.. should be Deputy Prime Minister..
8. Hun Mana--which also look after the Military Police should be Cambodia Chief of Staffs
SO many long lists to be promotes for this event and tragic.
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