At least 339 killed after stampede at Cambodia festival

[News_Editor]

At least 339 killed after stampede at Cambodia festival

2010-11-23 02:58:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

PHNOM PENH (BNO NEWS) -- At least 339 people were killed on Monday when panic broke out during Water Festival celebrations in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, officials said on early Tuesday morning.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on national television that at least 339 people had been killed in the stampede, which happened on a bridge leading to a small island in the Tonle Sap river. The panic broke out after several people fell unconscious in the crowd.

"With this terrible event, I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and family members of the victims," Sen said, adding that a committee would be formed to investigate the incident.

A hospital official said hundreds of people had sustained serious injuries in the stampede, but was unable to give exact figures. Sen said at least 329 people had been injured.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-23

[george]

Cambodia festival stampede leaves more than 340 dead

by Suy Se

PHNOM PENH, November 22, 2010 (AFP) - A stampede in the Cambodian capital has left more than 340 people dead and hundreds injured after panic erupted at a water festival that had attracted millions of revellers.

Dozens of ambulances with their sirens blaring raced to the scene of the incident, which occurred late Monday on a narrow bridge to an island in Phnom Penh where festivities were being held to mark the end of the annual event.

Prime Minister Hun Sen described it as Cambodia's darkest hour since the Khmer Rouge, whose 1975-1979 rule left up to a quarter of the population dead.

"This is the biggest tragedy since the Pol Pot regime," Hun Sen said in a live television broadcast, referring to the Khmer Rouge's late leader.

He said Cambodia would hold a national day of mourning on Thursday.

"I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims," he said.

The prime minister said arrangements would be made for the bodies of out-of-town visitors to be sent home.

The stampede left at least 345 people dead and 410 injured, a government spokesman told AFP.

"Most of the deaths were as a result of suffocation and internal injuries," Khieu Kanharith said.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the stampede, but he said a rumour had spread among the revellers that the bridge was unstable.

"So panic started. It was too crowded and they had nowhere to run," he said.

Witnesses reported people pushing and shoving in the crowd.

"We were crossing the bridge to Diamond Island when people started pushing from the other side. There was lots of screaming and panic," 23-year-old Kruon Hay told AFP at the scene.

"People started running and were falling over each other. I fell too. I only survived because other people pulled me up. Many people jumped in the water," he said.

Sunglasses and flip-flops were left scattered on the ground among lifeless bodies of people.

Police were seen carrying away some of the victims while others were laid in a row on the ground. Many of the dead appeared to be young Cambodians.

"This is the biggest tragedy we have ever seen," said Sok Sambath, governor of the capital's Daun Penh district.

Dozens of people gathered outside the city's Calmette hospital, where at least 105 people were confirmed dead, according to a police officer.

More bodies were taken to other hospitals across the city, he said.

Many festivalgoers were left in tears after the tragic end to the three days of boat races, concerts and fireworks.

The annual festival, one of Cambodia's largest and most exuberant, marks the reversal of the flow between the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.

It is also seen as a way of giving thanks to the river for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.

The event -- which saw hundreds of brightly coloured boats take part in races on the Tonle Sap river -- is popular with tourists but there were no immediate reports that foreigners were among the victims.

The last time the festival was marred by tragedy was in 2007 when five Singaporeans were killed after their dragon boat, carrying 22 men, capsized at the end of their race.

Accidents are common during the races, which involve long, thin boats crewed by as many as 70 rowers, which compete against each other in the sometimes choppy waters in front of Phnom Penh's royal palace.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-11-23

[LaoPo]

In pictures: Cambodia's deadly stampede

http://www.bbc.co.uk...acific-11814045 Pictures

http://www.bbc.co.uk...acific-11814894 Video

May they RIP :jap:

LaoPo

[plachon]

What a terrible tragedy to strike a country used to tragedies in the past, but starting to get itself together. Hopefully, the lessons will not go unlearned and future public events will be marked by more conspicuous health and safety planning and contingencies to avoid a repeat of this awful loss of life at a single event.

May the dead RIP, many of whom were teenagers and young people I suspect.

[NanaFoods]

Tragic.

R.I.P.

[LPCustom69]

This is very sad, may they all RIP.

[LTGTR]

How sad.I know exactly where that location is.

[george]

UPDATE:

Cambodian festival stampede kills 345: official

PHNOM PENH, November 22, 2010 (AFP) - At least 345 people died in a stampede during a busy festival in the Cambodian capital, a government spokesman told AFP early Tuesday.

"Most of the deaths were as a result of suffocation and internal injuries," Khieu Kanharith said, adding that the number of people injured had jumped to 410.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the stampede Monday evening, but the spokesman said a rumour had spread among the revellers that the bridge was unstable.

"So panic started. It was too crowded and they had nowhere to run," he said.

Millions of Cambodians had flocked to the capital to celebrate the annual three-day water festival, which ended on Monday.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-11-23

[george]

Revellers in shock after deadly Cambodian stampede - Scene

by Suy Se

PHNOM PENH, November 22, 2010 (AFP) - Stunned revellers gathered quietly at the bridge where more 340 people were killed in a stampede hours earlier as the country's most popular festival came to an abrupt and tragic end.

The narrow crossing, its neon light decorations still burning brightly, was closed off to the public but it was still littered with discarded flip-flops, clothing and water bottles, evidence of the nightmare that unfolded there.

"I feel very shocked now. It is the first time something like this has happened at the Water Festival," said taxi driver Im Mean as he stood near the bridge that links the city centre with the small island where festivities had been taking place.

"My children and relatives went the first and second day, it was so lucky that they did not come for the last day of the festival," the 47-year-old said, adding that he would not allow his children to visit Diamond Island next year.

Like huge swathes of the city, Diamond Island was in full party mode on Monday evening as the three-day festival, which attracted some three million visitors, drew to a close.

The island had hosted concerts, food and drink stalls and even an ice sculpture exhibition.

But the festive mood turned to shock as crowds on the packed bridge started panicking, triggering a deadly stampede -- and the worst incident to hit Cambodia in decades.

Television footage showed dozens of people piled on top of each other, some still alive and struggling to get out, others clearly dead. Many of the victims appeared to be young Cambodian women.

"I feel terrible," said Pek Luy, a 25-year-old Cambodian student as he and his friends discussed the night's events and strained to catch a glimpse of the bridge.

"People wanted to enjoy themselves and have fun, but then so many people died," he said.

"I think the people will feel scared to go across the bridge after this."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-11-23

[travelmann]

What a terrible tragedy to strike a country used to tragedies in the past, but starting to get itself together. Hopefully, the lessons will not go unlearned and future public events will be marked by more conspicuous health and safety planning and contingencies to avoid a repeat of this awful loss of life at a single event.

May the dead RIP, many of whom were teenagers and young people I suspect.

If anything I find seldom is anything learnt, In the Uk an inquiry would be set up, cost a fortune and then be quietly ignored

[soihok]

Very, very sad.

The thought of children also.

Tragic

[bdenner]

CNN are reporting that the crush started when officials started to use water cannons to keep the crowd moving on the bridge. Apparently many had stopped using it as a vantage point.

[thaimiller]

I was there for the festival last year and it is such good fun, A tragedy that this has happened. RIP to the dead and get well soon to all the injured.

[george]

Hundreds die in tragic end to water festival

Photo by: Pha Lina

A mourner weeps amid several covered bodies at

Calmette Hospital early this morning following

a stampede that killed hundreds on the northen

Koh Pich bridge during the water festival.

PHNOM PENH: -- Hundreds died and hundreds more were injured last night in a stampede on Diamond Island’s north bridge, bringing a tragic close to the final day of water festival celebrations in Phnom Penh.

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced via video conference at 2:30am that 339 people had been confirmed dead and 329 injured.

“With this miserable event, I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims,” he said.

“This needs to be investigated more.”

A committee would be set up to examine the incident.

“This is the biggest tragedy since the Pol Pot regime,” he said, adding that Cambodia would hold a national day of mourning tomorrow.

The cause of the stampede has not yet been confirmed, but Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said it happened because “one million people”, many of whom were leaving the island, became “scared of something.”

Municipal Police Chief Touch Naruth also could not confirm the series of events that led to the disaster.

“People were afraid and began to trample each other and some jumped into the river,” he said at the scene.

Bedlam ensued as the frenzied crowd began to push its way off the bridge, causing a jam that made it nearly impossible to breathe, according to witnesses.

With no other escape route, hundreds of people began jumping off the suspension bridge.

Sirens started to awaken city residents minutes later as ambulances, police cars and emergency vehicles began rushing to the scene, where they had to clear away the crowd before reaching victims.

Boats were called in to pull people out of the water and ferry others across the narrow Bassac River to the shore in front of the Royal Palace, where emergency workers fought through the crowd of frantic onlookers to care for the injured.

The bodies of victims were taken away in ambulances, flat-bed trucks and motor-bikes to area hospitals as police struggled to clear away the crowd by shouting, pushing and beating them back with their belts.

As the scene cleared, many bodies remained on the road, which was littered with shoes, shirts, pants and other objects dropped in the mayhem. Pieces of cardboard were placed over the heads of those obviously dead, while bystanders fanned people thought to be still alive.

Area hospitals confirmed that hundreds were either dead on arrival or died soon after, with witnesses on hand giving various explanations for the initial cause of the stampede and the actual cause of deaths.

A doctor at Calmette hospital, who declined to give his name, said after a preliminary assessment the principal causes of death among the victims he had examined were suffocation and electrocution.

Ouk Sokhhoeun, 21, was at the scene with his sister, 23-year-old Ouk Srey Mom, who was left unconscious and taken to Calmette hospital, said that military police started firing water cannons into the crowd on the bridge after the stampede had already caused scores of people to fall unconscious.

He said the water caused many people on the bridge to receive electric shocks from the cables lighting the bridge, at which point “some police also received electric shocks”.

-- Phnom Penh Post 2010-11-23

[brahmburgers]

so sad. I think about the festivities at my town of Chiang Rai for 4 days in a row (again tonight? I don't know). Tens of thousands of people attending, packed tightly at places. Firecrackers going off non-stop, dogs and other animals cowering as far away as possible. thousands of Floating lanterns launched - the following day, tens of thousands of trashy plastic and wire remnants of lanterns over many square miles - it's a surprise more house and property fires don't break out. Next day, paper and plastic trash every square foot along miles of river sides. Yet, no amount of trashing the landscape or spooking animals is near as bad as the multiple deaths we're hearing about in Pnom Pen.

[VictorOne]

CNN are reporting that the crush started when officials started to use water cannons to keep the crowd moving on the bridge. Apparently many had stopped using it as a vantage point.

Real clever thinking.

So when you haven't got a out of control stampede on you hands you create one.

[supaprik]

R.I.P.

[phuketrichard]

so sorry to hear that this happened on the major event of the year, I attened in 2007 and 2008 and it was a great time.

My thoughts go to thouse caught in the rush.

[davee58]

So sad.

Nice place, nice people.

RIP.

[princejohnjay]

RIP

[yellow1red1]

seems like some were trying to go to the island and some were trying to leave, and some claiming the bridge as a viewing spot, causing the first 'crush' and people passing out.

the police tried get the crowd moving with water canons to relieve the pressure, but caused electric shocks off the lights and a full blown stampede.

most of the dead were young women, not as big to keep on their feet.

why did the water canons just happen to be there? were there congestion problems, coming and going in past years?

instead of setting water canons for crowd control, why not rope down the middle and create two lanes?

[koto]

CNN are reporting that the crush started when officials started to use water cannons to keep the crowd moving on the bridge. Apparently many had stopped using it as a vantage point.

Real clever thinking.

So when you haven't got a out of control stampede on you hands you create one.

Hey! One try's what one thinks is best, a real shame that it does not always work, that's one of the main reason I quite going to large events, in or outdoors, I shed a tear for all.

[vahack]

3 days of heavy drinking and partying by millions of people who weigh less than 90kg.

no, i wouldn't expect anything like this.

if u are smart you will stay away from any major gatherings in SE Asia..

[hamishgillan]

Photos: At least 339 dead in Cambodian stampede

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/22/180-dead-in-cambodian-stampede/

[TAWP]

Loss of words, such a waste of life...

[george]

UPDATE:

Cambodia festival stampede leaves almost 350 dead

by Suy Se

PHNOM PENH, November 23, 2010 (AFP) - Cambodia began the grim task Tuesday of identifying almost 350 people crushed to death in a bridge stampede when revellers panicked at a huge water festival in Phnom Penh.

Hundreds more people were injured in the disaster, Cambodia's deadliest in decades, which took place late Monday on an overcrowded narrow bridge as millions celebrated the end of the annual three-day event.

Prime Minister Hun Sen described it as Cambodia's darkest hour since the Khmer Rouge, whose 1975-1979 rule left up to a quarter of the population dead.

"This is the biggest tragedy since the Pol Pot regime," Hun Sen said in a live television broadcast, referring to the Khmer Rouge's late leader.

He said Cambodia would hold a national day of mourning on Thursday.

"I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims," he said.

Sunglasses and flip-flops were left scattered on the ground among lifeless bodies at the scene of the tragedy.

Witnesses reported people pushing and shoving in the crowd.

"We were crossing the bridge to Diamond Island when people started pushing from the other side. There was lots of screaming and panic," 23-year-old Kruon Hay told AFP at the scene.

"People started running and were falling over each other. I fell too. I only survived because other people pulled me up. Many people jumped in the water," he said.

The stampede killed 347 and left another 410 injured, with many of the deaths caused by suffocation and internal injuries, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP, adding about two thirds of the dead were women.

It was not immediately clear what had triggered the disaster, but Kanharith said a rumour had spread among the revellers that the bridge was unstable.

"So panic started. It was too crowded and they had nowhere to run," he said. "Now we need to identify the bodies."

Police were seen carrying away some of the victims while others were laid in a row on the ground. Many of the dead appeared to be young Cambodians.

"This is the biggest tragedy we have ever seen," said Sok Sambath, governor of the capital's Daun Penh district.

Dozens of people gathered outside the city's Calmette hospital, where at least 105 people were confirmed dead, according to a police officer.

More bodies were taken to seven other hospitals across the capital, health officials said.

The government plans to donate five million riel (1,250 US dollars) each to the families of the dead victims, and one million riel (250 dollars) to each of the injured, Kanharith said.

The premier said the government would arrange for the bodies of out-of-town visitors to be sent home.

Many festivalgoers were left in tears after the tragic end to the three days of boat races, concerts and fireworks.

The annual festival, one of Cambodia's largest and most exuberant, marks the reversal of the flow between the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.

It is also seen as a way of giving thanks to the river for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.

The event -- which saw hundreds of brightly coloured boats take part in races on the Tonle Sap river -- is popular with tourists but there were no immediate reports that foreigners were among the victims.

The last time the festival was marred by tragedy was in 2007 when five Singaporeans were killed after their dragon boat, carrying 22 men, capsized at the end of their race.

Accidents are common during the races, which involve long, thin boats crewed by as many as 70 rowers, which compete against each other in the sometimes choppy waters in front of Phnom Penh's royal palace.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-11-23

[haveaniceday]

Yes, very sad. If anything can be learnt out of it there and in Thailand is clean up the local annual death toll from electrocution, seems that neglect in Thailand from local electricity practices is all ok. How many homes have safety switches? How many are even earthed, how many of those little hot water heaters in hotels are not even earthed, a $50 safety switch and basic earthing would save many thousands of lives here a year. My last one cost 150b to have installed. (After I bought a switch at HomePro)

Sean Ngu, an Australian who was visiting family and friends in Cambodia, told the BBC too many people had been on the bridge.

He said some of the victims were electrocuted.

"There were too many people on the bridge and then both ends were pushing," he said.

"This caused a sudden panic. The pushing caused those in the middle to fall to the ground, then [get] crushed.

"Panic started and at least 50 people jumped in the river. People tried to climb on to the bridge, grabbing and pulling [electric] cables which came loose and electrical shock caused more deaths."

Witnesses spoke of bodies littering the area.

Edited November 23, 2010 by haveaniceday

[george]

Reuters video of Cambodian tragedy

(wait a few moments for it to load

Watch video: http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=69016&sitesection=ndnsubss&VID=3459546

[hungryhippo]

Yes, very sad. If anything can be learnt out of it there and in Thailand is clean up the local annual death toll from electrocution, seems that neglect in Thailand from local electricity practices is all ok. How many homes have safety switches? How many are even earthed, how many of those little hot water heaters in hotels are not even earthed, a $50 safety switch and basic earthing would save many thousands of lives here a year. My last one cost 150b to have installed. (After I bought a switch at HomePro)

My local electrician costed us around 100,000 to earth our entire 4 story house. Seemed expensive to me but alas I have no experience in that area although I know it can be complicated. For example if you just stick devices on all the sockets then power serge protectors don't work correctly and wiring the earth to your water pipes may sometimes not be such a good idea etc. I think it can be a lot more expensive then you think it is.

[bushwacker]

so sad