A 19-year-old ‘hero’ helps to save six other members of his family as they jump from the crush on the diamond bridge into the river below. Malin Dim coordinates his cousins escape from the stampede.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 27/11/2010.
Demotix
A 19-year-old ‘hero’ helps to save six other members of his family as they jump from the crush on the diamond bridge into the river below.
Malin Dim and six cousins set off on the 30 km, dusty and rutted road from their village – Pokrusey Kandal- in the Khsach Kandal district, Kandal Province of Cambodia to travel to Phnom Penh to celebrate the last 2 days of the water festival there.
On Monday evening the cousins, four boys and three girls namely: Malin Dim, 19, Nita Chhan 15, Chanta Sieng 16, Sihorn Heng 17, Namehhiv Yong 14, Hourlong Seng 16, and the youngest Sokhorn Houy who is just 13-years-old, held each others shoulders, with the youngest first they formed a line and pressed onto the crowded metal bridge linking the island to Phnom Penh. [The sequence of portrait images on the slideshow is in the same order as the above name call.]
“For the first few metres we were ok,” says Sihorn and then: “groups meet in the middle of the bridge and make a stampede. I was very afraid then.”
13-year-old Sokhorn, who is the smallest in the group, continues: “We walked ok for a few minutes before the stampede then I was afraid. I lost hold of my cousin in the push.”
“Please help me mother. Help me please,” he cries to the “old people” who tower above him. “No one helps me and then I try to walk under their legs.”
Malin realised that the only way to escape was to get to the side of the bridge and jump off and he: “tells the others, who are still close to him, with his hands [signals] that we must jump.”
“The bridge was swaying with all the people. Some people fell down under me and I pushed them to move to side [of] bridge. I signalled the others to come to side. My [stomach] hurt so much because I was caught up in stampede,” he continues.
“’Uncle’ please help me get onto the side,” tiny Sokhorn calls to the adults around him.
“I saw them on the edge,” says Yong and when: “I see other people unconscious around me I try to get to edge. I crawl through a hole in the people.”
Somehow in the confusion, Malin seems to coordinate his relatives and orchestrate their jump to freedom: “When I see them on the side I jump into the river below.” The others follow. Four end up on the side of the Diamond Island and the other three on the opposite side.
“I swam across to them and take [lead] them swim back to the island so we are all together,” he says. “We all rest under the bridge for about half an hour.”
“Many people jump and die in river because they disappear. We see many unconscious people. After I rest a little I help some girls who jump into the water. I help other people as I am a very good swimmer,” he continues.
“Later we all walk off the Island by the other bridge and continue to a relatives house,” adds Malin.
Meanwhile back in the village their mothers, having seen the TV news, are desperately trying to find out if their extended family is safe. Touch Pov 55 (pictured), mother of Sihorn, calls her eldest brother Hourpheng Seng 25 (pictured), who lives in Phnom Penh and works at the city hall: “We have no money for a mobile and use a pay phone to call my son many times but he knows nothing.”
“I cry all night and cannot sleep,” says Chheiv Nam 55, as her only son, the youngest in the group, Sokhorn remains missing.
“We all cry and weep as we cannot find anything out about our seven children,” says their 83-year-old grandmother, Ro Norng.
On Tuesday morning Sitha Pov, mother of the ‘hero’ Malin: “we got a call from a relative in Phnom Penh saying that all seven children are safe and alive.”
“We cried all day still until they arrived back into the village and we saw their faces. Only then we believe they are alive,” she concludes as I picture her proudly hugging her son, fifth of seven siblings.
Incredible as it seems it’s a story of true individual strength and leadership. Today mothers, grandmothers, brothers and sisters celebrate the survival of the seven 'lucky' members of their family.
9 comments:
lucky to be alive!
Congratutation for returning back to your normal lives after the stampede trgedy that you will never forget for the rest of your lives. Even though you escaped death, you deserve some reward from the governmnet.
Malin Dim, you are very stranger and had best decision for life. I respect you from all my harts.
He cries out to his mother. ButGod heard his cry and spare him from danger.
Thank God in their behalf.
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..
May Buddha bless these this family from..
The claver and mindful can always find the way to get out of the truobles.
He is the real hero.
You did a better job than those police with stupid uniform. You are our hero, you have saved lives of your beloved Cambodian.
May god bless your families and friends!
in cambodia, it is usually the quick thinking that saved the life! smart youngsters, here! and don't forget to learn how to learn if you live in cambodia because cambodia is a land of waters. so learn how to swim real good, ok! it could save your life one day!
Post a Comment