Sunday, November 28, 2010

Injured Phnom Penh crush survivor regains conciousness after 60 hours

Sinara Rim was perhaps the first man to fall in the tragic bridge crush in Phnom Penh. He regained consciousness in hospital 60 hours later. With extensive injuries he remains hospitalised and is partially paralyzed. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 26/11/2010.


Sinara Rim was perhaps the first man to fall in the tragic bridge crush in Phnom Penh. He regained consciousness in hospital 60 hours later. With extensive injuries he remains hospitalised and is partially paralyzed.


26th of November 2010
Demotix


Sinara Rim, 27-years-old, was walking across the diamond bridge around 9.30pm on the last evening of Cambodia’s water festival. A group of men were walking in the opposite direction.

“We were in the centre of the bridge when a man coming towards me pushed me and I fell down. I cannot get up,” he tells me as he sits on his hospital bed this afternoon.

“I woke up in [Calmette] hospital on Thursday at 7am,” he continues. “I feel very lucky to be alive.”


“I hurt all over and cannot move my right arm. I cannot move my right leg very much.” Before I am asked to leave the hospital he tells me that: “I have been given 4 million Riel for help [$1000], food and hospital are no charge.”

Sinara was unconscious for around 60 hours and survived the crush and stampede on the diamond bridge which killed 347 people. His friend Sopheap Sam, 28, who did not wish to be photographed tells me that she is: “so very happy he alive [sic]”.

Reliable local sources inform me that: “initial footage on Cambodia’s ‘Beyon TV’,” owned by a close relative of Cambodia’s PM, at 11.20pm showed “grainy and poor quality images of men apparently fighting in the centre of the bridge before the stampede was triggered”. This footage, probably from a mobile phone, was not used in later broadcasts. The owner of this TV company is also heavily involved with the development of, and property ownership on Diamond Island.

Sinara Rim has no memory of the ensuing stampede or of anyone falling before he fell and it’s certain that he was one of the first to be caught up in the horrific and tragic crush. Perhaps the bodies which fell around him saved his life. We will never know. My translator who wishes to remain anonymous comments as we leave: “this guy may never get better or be able to use his right arm again. What will he do for work? What are his prospects now?”

Meanwhile today, many more flower tributes piled up at the entrance to the bridge to commemorate the hundreds of dead and injured.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh someone out mentioned a fight broke out, could that also be a contributing factor as well? inquirer wants to know!

Anonymous said...

but how can there be a fight in the middle of the crowd when they can barely move their body? makes no sense! could it be people just pushing against each other in crowd as they try to gasp for air, etc? one has to wonder, you know!

Anonymous said...

it's called panic! in a panic attack, people don't think clearly, you know! so the key is to calm down, take a deep breath, but there's no air to breath as people squeezed from all directions; it's like being squeezed by a python, really!

Anonymous said...

Sinara Rim , I and my families wish you feel better.
May Buhdda lords bless you and your families.

This was not your fault. This was the cpp government fault. You may hire good lawyers to sue them.

Anonymous said...

ជាការត្រឹមត្រូវណាស់ អ្នកដែលរៀបចំពិធីពោលគឺអាជ្ញាធរដែនដីជាអ្នកទទួលខុសត្រូវ។អាជ្ញាធរមឹនត្រូវទំលាក់កំហុសទៅលើស្ពានតូច មនុស្សច្រើនពេក មនុស្សរុញគ្នា។ល។
នោះទេ។ស្ពានមឹនអាចពង្រីកទៅតាមមនុស្សទេ គឺមនុស្សទេដែលតម្រូវទៅតាមស្ពាន។អាជ្ញាធរទេដែលត្រួតមើលឫក្តាប់ស្ថានការណ៏ទាំងនេះ។អ្វីដែលថ្លោះធ្លោយគឺអ្នកដែលរៀបចំពិធីនេះតែម្តងជាអ្នកទទួលខុសត្រូវ។កឹច្ចការបំរើជាតិបំរើប្រជាពលរដ្ឋមឹនត្រូវធ្វើលំៗយកតែល្អមើលតែមឹនល្អស៊ីដូចរដ្ឋាភិបាលសព្វថ្ងៃនេះទេ។ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរគួរតែបើកភ្នែកឲ្យធំៗហើយពេលនេះ។

Anonymous said...

ម្តេចមិនឲ្យអាមេបក្សសមរង្សីមកនិយាយជាមួយ
សម្តេចហ៊ុនសែនទៅចាំតែលាក់មុខដួចពង្រួល
ឥញ្ចឹងធ្វើអ្វីបើក្រុមបក្សនេះគ្រាន់បើ។

Anonymous said...

Brother Sinara Rim, your life is eternally, you can survived from this tragedy, May Buddha bless you for ever

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

1:52 AM
សម្ដេចអាចម៍គោហ៊ុនខ្វាក់របស់លោកជាឃាតករយើងមិនឲ្យលោកប្រធានសមរង្សីជ្រលក់មាត់ជាមួយបានទេ។ពួកអាក្បត់ឯងរង់ចាំការកាត់ទោសពីប្រជាជនខ្មែរទូទាំងប្រទេសទៅ។ពួកអាឯងមិនដែលចេះទទួលខុសនូវទង្វើដែលខុសឆ្គងម្ដណាទេ????ម្ដងនេះតើបក្សពួកអាឯងចង់គេចកែយ៉ាងម៉េចទៀត???

Anonymous said...

Hey 1:52am I like your fucking comments, Youns are so happy to see your stupid Khmers kill each other, what happens when your idiot animals live under Youns control?