Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Hundreds Die in Stampede on Cambodian Island

November 22, 2010
By SETH MYDANS
The New York Times

BANGKOK — More than 300 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in a stampede at an annual water festival in Cambodia that the prime minister on Tuesday called the nation’s worst tragedy since the murderous Khmer Rouge regime more than three decades ago.

Witnesses in Phnom Penh, the capital, said the stampede began Monday night when people panicked in a dense crowd on a small island close to the shore of the Bassac River.

Hundreds of people tried to escape over a short suspension bridge. Many died of suffocation or were crushed underfoot or were electrocuted by loose wires. Many drowned when they leaped from the suspension bridge into the water.

The night was filled with the constant sound of sirens and, at the scene and in the hospital, with the wailing of people discovering dead friends or relatives.


“This is the biggest tragedy in more than 31 years since the Pol Pot regime,” Prime Minister Hun Sen said in one of several television announcements through the night, referring to the mass killings of the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.

Millions of people pour into the capital each year and line the river’s shores and islands in densely packed crowds for a boat race that is the climax of the water festival. The last boat race ended early Monday evening, the final night of the holiday, and a concert was being held on the island, called Diamond Island, a long spit of land close to the royal palace on the shore.

There was no confirmation of the cause of the stampede, but Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said it began when what he said were one million people became “scared of something.”

The police and rescuers had to fight their way through crowds, sometimes beating people with their belts to get through, according to reports from the scene.

Video from the site showed scenes of horror with bodies lying here and there and frantic rescuers rushing among them.

People staggered from the scene either alone or supported on both sides by rescuers. Some sat on the ground, holding their hands to their chests and breathing with difficulty.

Other people carried bodies, both the dead and the badly injured, by their arms and legs; they knelt on the ground fanning those who were still alive or trying to perform CPR; they loaded the dead and badly injured onto flatbed trucks or the backs of motorcycles and packed them into ambulances.

People searched, weeping, through the corridors of the hospital, where bodies lay on the floor wrapped in woven mats or under sarongs. Hospital workers threw white sheets over groups of bodies on the floor. White coated hospital personnel hurried through rooms jammed with cots.

The brightly lit suspension bridge with its delicate fretwork was carpeted with the shoes and bits of clothes of those who had been crushed or fled.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen must resign immediately. Otherwise, the spirit of these victims will get you tonight!

Anonymous said...

Most deaths since the KR regime? How about the coup in 1997 initiated by old One Eye himself? How many died then, or were those deaths inconsequential?

Anonymous said...

ខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃខ្លាចបាក់ស្បាតអស់ទៅហើយ..!

គ្រាន់តែយួនបង្អើលតែបន្ដិច ក៏ផ្អើលរត់ជាន់គ្នាងាប់
និងរបួស រាប់មិនអស់ទៅហើយ...!

តើប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរដែលរងគ្រោះដោយសារយួនបន្លាចនេះ
គិតយ៉ាងណាទៅវិញ?

Source: PPenh
341 dead 335 injured and continue to count...

Anonymous said...

Oh!moha yumareach & yumabal... please
kach bombak Hun Sen's helecopter propeller while it's in the sky.

Anonymous said...

អាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនបីក្បាល ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម
បើគ្មានសមត្តភាពទេ ល្មមចុះចេញទុកឱ្យ លោកសម រង្ស៊ី
ធ្វើម្ដងហើយ។

Your Master said...

A dead Khmer is a good Khmer.

Proud Siam

Anonymous said...

How about K-5?

Anonymous said...

This is a national tragedy at grand scale, someone must responsible for this, especially the leaders.

To organize the event this big, and no security and safety being safe-guarded. Where were the organizers and police? If there were an opposition protest, there never lack any police and officials' present.

This is simply carelessness on part of the officials and the organizers, and the Hun Sen's leadership.

KHMER Angkor.

Anonymous said...

This tragedy shows how poor the authority can handle the intense situation like that.
Government is too proud to boast about the event and the number of the participants to the event (4 millions visited?), but neglected the safety of people.
How many skyscrapers in Cambodia have safety systems where people can escape when fires explode?
Government denies the water firing by police and electrocutions. They never accept the truth.
Polices are just familiar with firing water at the faces and chests of peaceful demonstrators who cry for freedom and democracy, so they took this as a routine habit in dealing this situation which turned to be tragedy.

Anonymous said...

monkey government run the country ...

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen and his family own the island. You should change it the "Island of Death".

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen gov/t killed khmer more than 339 people in the past..

Anonymous said...

Xhmer Kingdum and retared gov/t

Anonymous said...

អាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនបីក្បាល ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម
បើគ្មានសមត្តភាពទេ ល្មមចុះចេញទុកឱ្យ លោកសម រង្ស៊ី
ធ្វើម្ដងហើយ។

Anonymous said...

Whatever you are saying Hun Sen is a serviving leader.

Anonymous said...

I think it is Youns' plan for this tragedy.

Anonymous said...

We should blame it on lack of governance. This is the result when you rule the country as dictatorship. No accountability to anything.

Anonymous said...

I hate the water festival,just too many people.
Khmers have no regard for their own safety let alone other peoples.
Just look at how they drive,its shocking.
My wife looking for her brother at calamette.
What will they do with all the bodies.
How many people carry ID.
Anything in their pockets would have been stolen by police or hospital workers already.
You cant blame hun sen for cambodians peoples behaviour.

Anonymous said...

hmm... No one's to blame here.. They are not just prepared for this.. We went there Sunday night and we can't even get through parked motos are occupying on lane out the other was occupied by the cars going in.. people walk anywhere they can.. so one could actually escaped when something happened there

Anonymous said...

Why Ah CPP police don't say anything or do something about too crowded on the bridge? whyyyyyyyyyy?

Anonymous said...

I think it is Youns' plan for this tragedy.

10:12 AM


agree with you....as long as ah kwack be friend w/youn and khmer krom is under controlled by youn...Cambodia will be soon eliminated by youn in the near future.

ah kwack sent a wrong massege to khmer people....he tried to cover up K-5, a coupe.....


Khmer PreyNorKor

Anonymous said...

10:12AM and 10:28 AM ,

I agree with you both.

Koh pich brigde is not standard because of corruption .

Hun Sen has used corruption as a weapon to killed Kmer not only Koh Pich bridge.

Anonymous said...

Because Khmers are so stupid and that is it. Eat more brain food, animals. Next life don't be Khmer.

Anonymous said...

Koh pich brigde is not standard because of corruption .

So Koh Pich bridge is an incident .

But corruption of building Koh Pich is not an accident it is one of dirty million plans Hun Sen master to kill the whole Khmer people and society.
So corruption under Hun Sen master plan is very good weapon to weaken Khmer people and Khmer society to it is easy for Yuon communist to put Lao and Cambodia under it yoke.
So corruption under Hun Sen regime has been a good weapon to kill Khmer .
So corruption under Hun Sen is very dangerous for Khmer people.
So corruption under Hun Sen is to poison, to weaken Khmer people.

So Khmer must understand that corruption in Asian countries is normal and everywhere but corruption under Hun Sen ‘s Yuon master they have real goal and that goal is to swallow Cambodia as they did to Lao, and to achieve their goal to swallow Cambodia is to make the owner of the country ( Khmer ) weak and one of those dirty working tricks is corruption.

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen Youns will kill all Khmers by using many ways, this tragedy should be protected and would not be happened, if Ah Hun Sen Youn really love Khmers. How many body guards who protec Ah Hun Sen Youn? Ah Hun Sen Youn must resign now.

Anonymous said...

Typical - there will be flat denial of any electrocution.

Those doctors, emergency staff, and survivors/witnesses will never dare to say there was any electrocution now.

Why the government was so quick to declare there was no electrocution?

Anonymous said...

Can you idiots shut the fuck up! This a national tragedy that no one want it to happen and yet you stupid idiots focus all the blame on the government of cursing Hun Sen. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Hun Sen said...

សារលិខិតចូលរួមមរណៈទុក្ខ និងលាលែង
ខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា ខ្ញុំ សម្តេចអគ្គមហាមេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នា​យករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា សូម​ចូល​រួម​មរណៈទុក្ខ សោកស្តាយចំពោះការ​បាត់​បង់​អាយុ​ជីវិតប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ៣៤៥នាក់ និងរបួស៣៩៥ នាក់ ។ ការបាត់បង់នេះជាកំហសធ្ងន់ធ្ងរបផុតដែលមិនអាច អធ្យាស្រ័យបានឡើយ ក្នុងនាមខ្ញុំជាអ្នកដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិ​បាល និងជាអ្នកទទួលខុស​ត្រូវម្នាក់។ ឆ្លើយតបទៅ​នឹងហន្តរាយដែលមិនដែលកើតមាននៅក្នុងពិភពលោក ខ្ញុំសូមប្រកាសជាសាធារណៈថាៈ ចាប់ពីថ្ងៃទី២៦ វិច្ឆិកា ២០១០ នេះតទៅរូបខ្ញុំសូមលា​ឈប់ពី​តំណែងជានាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហើយសូមប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ដាក់​ទោសដល់កំហុសដោយអចេតនាដែល​ខ្ញុំព្រះ​ករុណា ខ្ញុំមានការធ្វេសប្រហែសមិនអាច​ជួយ​ការ​ពារ សុវត្ថិភាព អាយុជីវិតប្រជារាស្ត្របានក្នុង​ពេល​បុណ្យ អុំទូក ២០១០នេះបាន។​

សូមទទួលនូវការលាលែង សុំខមាលទោស​អំពីខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា ខ្ញុំ ព្រមទាំងក្រុមគ្រួសារ ។
ភ្នំពេញ ថ្ងៃទី ២៣ វិច្ឆិកា ២០១០
ហ៊ុន សែន

Anonymous said...

After the mourning, the lie has to stop. Why the authority was too quick to say there wasn't any electrocution???

Anonymous said...

spean koh pich becames spean moronak from 23 november 2010.

Anonymous said...

we viet nam believe Hun Sen- CPP and the last is the KING Sihanomi did a good job and a good leaders. they are working hand in hand. They are a good leaders and good followers to our instructions.

Also thanks to all our vietnamese brothers and sisters who sacrify their family to work in all level of officials in cambodia to keep it part of viet nam.

we also want to thank His Excellency Dr. Phay Siphan, SOK Siphana and SARIN DENORA for their lips services and manipulation of international communities to support us..

Long live Viet Nam

Anonymous said...

what a tragedy. my condolences to the victims and their families. anyway, i hope it's a wake up call for cambodia build bigger and stronger bridges and they should have police to direct traffic and keep the crowd from getting too overcrowded, etc. i hope cambodia and the festival goers learned from this tragedy. i used to hear such tragedy from stampede in england or spain, or elsewhere during soccer games, etc, now it happened in cambodia, too. there are lessons to be learned, i guess, as sad as it is. my prayer to the victims.

Anonymous said...

Dear Khmer compatriot brothers and sisters,
I fill very sorry for the incident at Koh Pich that Khmer have been suffering again and again; I wish Khmer stop having the tragedies like this from now on. However, what I can see, if Yourn are still behind Hun Sen government, used Hun Sen ‘s hands to help killing Khmer in many different ways like that, Khmer never stop being suffered. This happening, at Koh Pich, is not the final tragedy for Khmer citizen. I do not believe that it is a real accident disaster; it has to have somebody plan to work on it to kill Khmer citizen for weakening us. If my view is correct, you will see Khmer will have a lot more tragedies than this in the near future. Therefore in order to stop something happen like this is to Pull Hun Sen and his clans out of the government (it does not meter how we do it) and change its structure and policies.

Anonymous said...

​មិនមែន​ជា​លើក​ទី​១ទេ​នៃ​ប្រវត្តិពិធី​បុណ្យ​អុំទូក ព្រឹត្តិការណ៍​របៀបនេះ​បានកើត​មាន​ឡើង​ម្តង​រួច​មក​ហើយ​នា​ឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៤ មានមនុស្ស​ជាច្រើន​បានត្រូវស្លាប់​និង​របួស ភាគច្រើននៅ​ក្នុង​របង​ព្រះ​បរមរាជវាំងដែលជាកន្លែង​បឹទជិតម្តុំវិហារ​ព្រះកែវមរកត​ មុខវាំងនិង​សូនច្បារមុខរដ្ឋសភាចាស់​​។គឺជា​​ចលាចល​​ចេតនានៃ​ការរុញ​ច្រាន​គ្នាពីដំបូង​បន្ទរដោយ​ការហ៊ោរ​កញ្ជ្រៀវ​ពីហ្វូង​មនុស្ស​​ដែលភាគច្រើន​ជាយុវជន​គ្មាន​ការគឹតគូរ​អ្វីទាំងអស់ រហូត​ដល់​មាន​ការភ័យ​ខ្លាច​ដែល​មិន​ដឹង​ប្រកដ​ពី​មូល​ហេតុ​អ្វី​ កាលនោះ​ការស្លាប់និង​របួស​មាន​តិច​តូច​ដោយ​សារ​ទីធ្លារ​បើក​ចំហរ​ អ្នកដែលរងគ្រោះ​គឺ​ដោយ​សារ​គ្មាន​ច្រកចេញដូច​កោះ​ពេជ្រ​ពេល​នេះ​អញ្ចឹង។
អាជ្ញាធរ​គួរ​តែ​មាន​ការ​ប្រយ័ត្ន​ចំ​ពោះទី​កន្លែង​ណា​ដែល​ចង្អៀត​និង​ត្រូវ​ប្រ​កាស​អាស័ន្ន​តាម​ម៉េក្រូ​នៅ​ពេល​ដែល​យល់​ថា​មាន​សភាព​មិន​ល្អ ។
ខ្ញុំសូមចូលរួម​មរណះ​ទុក្ខ​ដោយ​ក្រៀមក្រំ​បំផុត ។

Anonymous said...

this kind of tragedy can happen when you have a crowd of what looks like a million people packed into a small island, and when they all tried to escape at once onto a bridge, all hell broke loose, you know! it's sad, indeed. i hope people will avoid a huge crowd next time. imagine the worst like when someone yelled fire in a crowded theater, etc... this is the scenerio. a lesson in life, i guess.

Anonymous said...

"SPean Moronak"

ស្ពានមរណៈ

Anonymous said...

Yourn know that when people run, they will step on somebody else and kill them, that is why Yourns do this.

Hun Sen said...

សារលិខិតចូលរួមមរណៈទុក្ខ និងលាលែ​ងពីតំណែង

ខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា ខ្ញុំ សម្តេចអគ្គមហាមេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា សូមចូលរួមមរណៈទុក្ខ សោកស្តាយចំពោះការ​បាត់​បង់​អាយុជីវិតប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ៣៤៥នាក់ និងរបួស៣៩៥ នាក់ ។ ការបាត់បង់នេះជាកំហុសធ្ងន់ធ្ងរបំផុត​ដែល​មិនអាចអធ្យាស្រ័យបានឡើយ ក្នុងនាមខ្ញុំជាអ្នកដឹក​នាំ​រដ្ឋា​​ភិ​បាល និងជាអ្នកទទួលខុសត្រូវម្នាក់។ ឆ្លើយតបទៅនឹងហន្តរាយដែលមិនដែលកើតមាននៅក្នុងពិភពលោកនេះ ខ្ញុំសូមប្រកាសជាសាធារណៈ​ថាៈ ចាប់ពីថ្ងៃទី២៦ វិច្ឆិកា ២០១០ នេះតទៅរូប​ខ្ញុំ​សូមលាឈប់ពីតំណែងជានាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហើយសូម​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ដាក់ទោសដល់កំហុសដោយអចេតនា​ដែលខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា ខ្ញុំមានការធ្វេសប្រហែសមិនអាច​ជួយការពារ សុវត្ថិភាព អាយុជីវិតប្រជារាស្ត្របានក្នុង​ពេលបុណ្យ អុំទូក ២០១០នេះបាន។

សូមទទួលនូវការលាលែង សុំខមាលទោសអំពីខ្ញុំព្រះករុណា ខ្ញុំ ព្រមទាំងក្រុមគ្រួសារ ។
ភ្នំពេញ ថ្ងៃទី ២៣ វិច្ឆិកា ២០១០
ហ៊ុន សែន

Anonymous said...

why do ingorant people post comments blaming hun sen or viet? did hun sen or the viets chased the peoples to their deaths? if u dont know shit, dont say shit. i come here to read recent events in my country but reading comments in here makes me think why cambodia cannot be like other countries, cos we like to BLAME others for anything that happens, especially them keyboard warriors, STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER AND GO DO SOMETHING, IF U THINK ITS WRONG, GO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT RIGHT!!

Anonymous said...

គួរឲ្យសោកស្ដាយមែនទែន ដែលស្ពានមិនទាន់បាក់ផង ស្រាប់តែហ្វូងមនុស្សបាក់ស្បាតមុន។
នៅក្នុងសង្គមដែលមានតែក្ដីភ័យខ្លាច ពេលឮស្អីបន្តិចបន្តួចក៏នាំគ្នាផ្អើលគ្មានគិតមុខគិតក្រោយដូចនេះ។

Anonymous said...

A NGUYEN TUAN DUNG CAME TO KHMER MEET WITH HUNSEN WEEK AGO FOR IDIOT POWER...!

COUPLE DAYS AGO A NGUYEN TUAN DUNG NOTICE: DO NOT ALLOW KHMER KROM FLIES THE CUSTOM BALLON(BONG HOS PHLERNG TIEN)

AND TODAY YOURN MADE UP FOR KILL ALL KHMER STUPET THAT UNPROTECTING...


WE BELEAVE STRONGLY ALL THESE TRAGEDY YOURN MADE... HUNSEN MUST KNEW ALL THESE.

Anonymous said...

Some people are still happy & enjoyed of this tragedy.

Wright or wrong, but please learn to respect others.
In this case the life of the innocents "our Khmer brother & sisters."

Anonymous said...

I don't think yourn die in this tragedy.If yourn die too hun sen will have no more job.

Anonymous said...

Yes, youre right, just stupid Khmer dogs die

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen called it the "biggest tragedy since the Pol Pot regime.

But K-5 plan under yuon Hun Sen regime is one thousand times bigger than Koh Pich brige tragedy.

Anonymous said...

អាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនបីក្បាល ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម
បើគ្មានសមត្តភាពទេ ល្មមចុះចេញទុកឱ្យ លោកសម រង្ស៊ី
ធ្វើម្ដងហើយ។

k said...

Your Royal Highness Samdech Ta,

Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen,


Thank you for your both kindness and understanding.

What we need is prevention method, not to let this type of accident happen again in future.

It also make me very worry to see so much alcohol allowed to enter or produced in our beloved Kingdom of Cambodia? What about “ YA BA “ from Thailand? Can Samdech Ta and Samdech Hun Sen stop all sort of drugs coming to Cambodia? The accident may not related to drugs and alcohol but just some thing that I could not sleep peacefully from now to the future in the name sake of Khmer citizen.

May almighty God Jesus Christ accept all the victim souls into heaven too.

My condolences to all the victim's family.

Regards,

Kulen Monorom
(The rice farmer's son)

Anonymous said...

Dear Prime Minister Hun Sen and CPP members,
please notice that this is a massive acident in your time as a prime minister as leaders.
please hold this historical acident every year to remember in the country. this is a very sad scence after Khmer Rouge.

sincerely

your people

Anonymous said...

start now on, Koh Pich is know as a water festival concert ghost island. how the Asian Tourism Forum will start there? Well done the governor of Phnom Penh. you manage your country very well. there will be a quietness on the island since many people are dead.