At least 339 killed after stampede at Cambodia festival

[george]

Raw Video: Hundreds Dead in Cambodia Stampede

[surayu]

"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."

" 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”.

That's the version official press is giving in Italy too, they also mentioned that police didn't just receive electric shocks by the water sprayed by the water cannon operated by their colleagues, but they did die too, the water from the water cannons was hitting the lights on the bridge before reaching their intended targets, so sad really, rip.

[SergeiY]

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.

Okay, you don't like it in your town and don't like the people live there and don't like the local activities. Didn't you found any other topic to rant about this?

[UtopiaFlorida]

Reminds me sadly at the Love Parade stampede in July in Germany. There as well was only a small path to the big festival area and it could not hold the huge crowd at all.

Being in huge crowds of people serve a certain risk as only one is needed to cause panic which will spread like a wildfire in the crowd.

Edited November 23, 2010 by UtopiaFlorida

[geriatrickid]

Crowd control. It's an art and skill that people just don't get.

July 2010, Duisberg Love Parade stampede in the tunnel -18 dead, hundreds seriously injured. Emergency services and police overwhelmed and no planning to account for the tunnel exposure.

November 201 Protest outside Tory HQ, London. 14- Injured. Inadequate policing presence and poor preparation.

The only way to avoid ending up a statistic is to use common sense and avoid such large uncontrollable events.

[ThiagoBras]

My God, may they rest in peace

[starcatcher]

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.

Yes, you are right. These festivals should stop. But then also festivals like Christmas, New Year's eve, Eastern, Songkran, Loi Kratong, Chinese New Year etc. etc. The best would be no one of us celebrates anything anymore in the future.

No. You can't stop all of this. But there are many ways to make such festivals more secure. I hope, in this case the city of Phnom Penh and the Cambodian government will learn from it. And hopefully also other institutions and governments. But I guess this will be just a nice wish.

My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

[jbrewer]

RIP!

[andygunther]

Feel sorry...

R. I. P.

[animatic]

RIP all. A horrible waste of lives. Condolences to the survivors, and families of those lost.

Water cannons fired where electric lights and wires are at pedestrian levels...

This is clearly one of the stupidest, irresponsible things imaginable.

Whom ever ordered the water cannons fired should get serious blame his way.

I agree that management of these festivals aught to be better regulated for safety,

but the likelihood is pretty small.

Edited November 23, 2010 by animatic

[phuketnick]

Is anyone In PP now?? Need to know if any foreigners injured , killed or caught up in this tragedy or have any news at all? I have a friend there on a visa run who hasn't been in contact since yesterday afternoon so we are very worried about him.

Any contact numbers or any info as to how we can find out??

All help or advice much appreciated.

Thanks

[Humphrey Bear]

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

Not so.

In the past few years we have seen similar tragedies in Makkah, due to stampedes at Hajj. The Saudi authorities have learnt from each of several disasters and have developed new methods of crowd control, building better walkways / bridges / underpasses and the like. Now even more pilgrims are present through the holy festival, but one does not hear of any loss of control.

In this instance there were obviously too many people on the bridge at the one time. The bridge entrances need to be controlled at times of great use, by turnstiles or security personnel allowing only 'x' people per hour through the approaches.

[Humphrey Bear]

Is anyone In PP now?? Need to know if any foreigners injured , killed or caught up in this tragedy or have any news at all? I have a friend there on a visa run who hasn't been in contact since yesterday afternoon so we are very worried about him.

Any contact numbers or any info as to how we can find out??

All help or advice much appreciated.

Thanks

The last I heard was about two hours ago, when government sources were saying that no Westerners were among the dead/injured. Will be difficult to sort out other SE Asian nationals, though.

This is a very upsetting incident and my heart goes out to all the families of the victims, probably a fair few of whom I know.

[phuketnick]

Is anyone In PP now?? Need to know if any foreigners injured , killed or caught up in this tragedy or have any news at all? I have a friend there on a visa run who hasn't been in contact since yesterday afternoon so we are very worried about him.

Any contact numbers or any info as to how we can find out??

All help or advice much appreciated.

Thanks

The last I heard was about two hours ago, when government sources were saying that no Westerners were among the dead/injured. Will be difficult to sort out other SE Asian nationals, though.

This is a very upsetting incident and my heart goes out to all the families of the victims, probably a fair few of whom I know.

Ok , many thanks for this news, lets hope he contacts me soon..... I too give my condolences to anyone who has lost loved ones and friends...what a terrible thing to happen :-(

[asiawatcher]

Water and electricity a great mix! Begs the question why water canon? The reports of police using belts to club people? <deleted> - not much better than the Khmer Rouge days. No deaths should happen like this.

I have seen Cambodian police in action and they are very arrogant and angry people. I expect this had a lot to do with this tragedy.

[WarpSpeed]

Went to the Airshow here last year at Don Muang with my children and I was freaking out the entire time entering the show as it funneled us down through a couple of entrances for metal detectors in which there was not even enough room to search anyone setting them off nor time to do it. A completely useless endevour which they continued with the metal detectors not even on in spite of the crowd size and it backing up the way it was..

The entrance was funneled between buildings for long distance and there was zilch for crowd control. It was 96 degrees out and packed shoulder to shoulder taking literally baby steps so easy to trip and fall and more then once people were just crushing my boys and trying to separate us. I knew they were baking as they were so much lower then us. Some nice people around us were shading them with their umbrellas which I would have had myself but I followed instructions that said we couldn't bring them so we had none(I know, how foolish of me)..

In my mind every tragic scenario played out and I could hardly enjoy anything about the show or my kids reactions to it also knowing the same was going to happen on the way back out. God forbid if anyone set off a strong bomb-sounding firecracker or something? I'll never again go to another such show if there is the slightest inclination that it has the same poor planning behind it.. Tragic for these people and at a time of celebration too ... There's been enough tragedies like this to learn the hard lessons from, if not the authorities then the individuals themselves.. No amount of celebration is worth suffocating or being trampled for.. My heart goes out to the families and friends..

Edited November 23, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[yellow1red1]

RIP all. A horrible waste of lives. Condolences to the survivors, and families of those lost.

Water cannons fired where electric lights and wires are at pedestrian levels...

This is clearly one of the stupidest, irresponsible things imaginable.

Whom ever ordered the water cannons fired should get serious blame his way.

I agree that management of these festivals aught to be better regulated for safety,

but the likelihood is pretty small.

I ask agian, why would water canons be there, by chance? they must have forseen crowd control problems!

how could they figure -- narrow bridge, thousands of revelers, some coming, some going, some hogging the bridge as view point...

a rope down the middle and troops of cadets doing marching practise would flush the crowds in a 2 way better than fricken water canons.

arrest anyone who decides to stop and watch the show.

[webfact]

Death toll from Cambodian festival stampede climbs to 378: official /MCOT

[george]

UPDATE:

Cambodia festival stampede leaves nearly 380 dead

by Michelle Fitzpatrick

PHNOM PENH, November 23, 2010 (AFP) - Frantic relatives scoured makeshift morgues in the Cambodian capital on Tuesday after nearly 380 revellers perished in a huge stampede on an overcrowded bridge, turning a water festival into tragedy.

Survivors recounted scenes of panic and fear on the narrow bridge as people were trampled underfoot by the surging crowds on Monday, with some reportedly falling or jumping into the river below or grabbing on to electricity cables.

Prime Minister Hun Sen described the disaster as Cambodia's worst tragedy since the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 reign of terror, which left up to a quarter of the population dead. He declared a national day of mourning on Thursday.

The United States offered Cambodia "deep condolences for the tragic loss of life".

At least 378 people were killed in the crush and some 750 were injured, government spokesman Phay Siphan told AFP.

"The number is still going up," he said.

Exuberant festival-goers had been crossing the bridge to reach an island hosting concerts, food stalls and ice sculptures before the crowd turned to a desperate crush of human bodies.

It was not immediately clear what had triggered the disaster, but another government spokesman said a rumour had spread among revellers celebrating one of Cambodia's biggest festivals that the bridge was unstable.

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

Many of the deaths were caused by suffocation and internal injuries, he said, adding that about two-thirds of the dead were women.

At the scene of the tragedy, the bridge to Diamond Island was littered with sunglasses and flip-flops and still decked with lights from the huge annual water festival that drew millions into the streets on Monday night.

"There were so many people and they tried to push me and some people stepped on me. I saw a few jump off the bridge," Meourn Piseth told AFP.

"I felt like I was going to die, I couldn't breathe," said the 15-year-old as he received treatment for his badly bruised legs at Preah Ketomealea hospital.

Many witnesses reported seeing people jump or fall from the crossing into the river below.

"We are doing a search around the bridge in case there are bodies in the water," the government spokesman said.

Several hundred worried relatives gathered outside the city's Calmette Hospital trying to identify missing loved ones.

Rows of bodies were laid out under a white tent erected over the hospital car park and people were straining to catch a glimpse of the dead.

Policemen photographed and numbered the victims, while all around people made frantic phone calls describing the outfits of the deceased.

Their uncovered faces showed many had sustained bloody bruises during the stampede.

One woman said she recognised her 16-year-old niece in the makeshift morgue.

"I heard she was killed last night, so I came here and I saw her body," Som Khov, 51, told AFP. "I heard she died from an electric shock."

Some witnesses reported that people had been grabbing electric cables on the bridge, but a doctor at the hospital played down suggestions that electrocution was the cause of some of the deaths.

"It looks like they died from a lack of oxygen," said the doctor, who did not want to be named.

After Hun Sen promised that the government would arrange for the bodies of out-of-town visitors to be sent home, 13 military trucks began taking away corpses from Calmette Hospital.

Many festival-goers 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, marks the reversal of the flow between the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.

The event -- which saw hundreds of brightly coloured boats take part in races on the Tonle Sap -- is popular with tourists but there was no confirmation that any 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.

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

[tomahawk]

Strange thing about this is I went to balloon festival at MaeJo University and upon leaving thousands of people were jammed together on narrow walkway. I was thinking then it would not take much to start a stampede and many people would die. In fact a bridge did collapse and many people fell in water, but I do not think anyone was injured. farang I know that was there complained it was poor planning by organizers of event, but I said at least it was less likely Asian people would stampede, as they are more patient and used to being in mobs. It turns out sadly that I was wrong. However, not to defend Cambodian police, but I was head of riot squad in US and I can tell you once a crowd like this goes out of control, not much police can do to stop it quickly. Still, using water cannons on electric wires is pretty stupid. The fault largely lies with those who organized the event, in my opinion.

[Lion2000]

Been at the festival a few years ago.

To bad such dissaster happend here.

My thoughts to those who lost friends or family.

May they rest in peace.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Lion2000

[moskito]

RIP all. A horrible waste of lives. Condolences to the survivors, and families of those lost.

Water cannons fired where electric lights and wires are at pedestrian levels...

This is clearly one of the stupidest, irresponsible things imaginable.

Whom ever ordered the water cannons fired should get serious blame his way.

I agree that management of these festivals aught to be better regulated for safety,

but the likelihood is pretty small.

What a tragedy, may they rest in peace.

I agree with you here animatic, it was absolutely thoughtless to order watercannons to fire.

But even in countries which are known for good organisation skills things like these happen.

I remember the death

Bradford England Footballstadion 1985 56 casualties

Hillsborough-Stadion England Sheffield 96 casualties

Duisburg Germany Loveparade 2010 19 casualties

Saudi Arabia the so called Hadsch more than 360 just 4 years ago

Its not easy if people start to panic, even with the best of regulations. When everybody just want to go OUT humans become animals.

My deepest condolences to all which lost friends or family members in Cambodia.

[Hardie]

"Saudi Arabia the so called Hadsch more than 360 just 4 years ago"

You mean 'hajj'?

This is why I avoid crowds. A little claustrophobia can go a long way... R.I.P.

[tropo]

Saudi Arabia the so called Hadsch more than 360 just 4 years ago

Making this a new world record for deaths in a stampede.

[surangw]

interesting that western news ( usa) does not mention the water cannons and electrocution as of this mornings news

[khaowong1]

I am very sad to hear about all these deaths. But, to compare this to the Pol Pot debacle is ridiculous.. 300+ accidently killed compared to 3+ million killed by a mad man and his henchmen.. yeah right, that's comparable.

[sirchai]

Water and electricity a great mix! Begs the question why water canon? The reports of police using belts to club people? <deleted> - not much better than the Khmer Rouge days. No deaths should happen like this.

I have seen Cambodian police in action and they are very arrogant and angry people. I expect this had a lot to do with this tragedy.

Listen. So many Innocent people just died, so many got injured and you're posting weird stuff about the Khmer Rouge and cops?

Let them rest in peace, I can't even find the right words after watching this video on you tube......:jap:

[Atmos]

Stampede memorial plans

Friday, 12 August 2011

Buddhist monks and government officials participate yesterday in a ground-breaking ceremony for a memorial stupa, which is to be built near the bridge to Diamond island in Phnom Penh where 353 people were killed during a stampede in November last year.

Ground was broken yesterday for the creation of a memorial stupa on Koh Pich, set to lie just a few metres away from the bridge where the 353 people lost their lives in the water festival stampede last year.

The ceremony was attended by local government officials, including Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema who chaired the event, but family members of the victims of the stampede seemed absent from proceedings.

more

Edited August 13, 2011 by Atmos

[thequietman]

think back guys, 2010 ring any bells. a bridge, up to 400 people dying, swaying a bit so panic erupted. any one , anyone.....

lifes difficulties are a learning curve, adapt , change,

in asia this doesnt apply. if it aint broke, dont fix it. if its broke, then go around.

i,m ok so f@@k the rest.

make plans guys, cos i am. :jap: