Cambodian stampede: Phnom Penh counts the cost of water festival disasterCambodian authorities struggle to deal with aftermath of yesterday's water festival stampede which left hundreds dead
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As police pore over the scene for evidence and relatives wait for the answer that is now inevitable, still no one is quite sure why there were so many people on the Rainbow Bridge, on the banks of the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh last night.
The Cambodian capital today swirls with rumours about what caused the stampede which trapped thousands on the short, narrow suspension bridge. At least 395 people were killed in the panic, either suffocated in the crush or drown having fallen unconscious into the water. More than 500 were injured.
Prime Minister Hun Sen described the stampede as the biggest disaster the country had experienced since the mass killings of the Khmer Rouge regime. He declared Thursday a national day of mourning and ordered all government ministries to fly the Cambodian flag at half-mast.
Some at the scene yesterday said the crush started when speculation swept the tightly packed crowd that the bridge was about to collapse. Some have reported seeing the bridge bouncing under the weight of thousands of people.
Others said the panic was caused by the multi-coloured lights strung from the suspension ropes sparking, a rumour of food poisoning or a gang of youths robbing people in the crowd.
The bridge was supposed to be only one way for people to leave Diamond Island. Another bridge 200 metres away was for people going to the island, but the Rainbow Bridge was closer to the music and the festival on the cityside banks of the river.
Just before 10pm, when celebrations were in full swing, the panic began, with those trapped on the bridge fighting to find a way clear and shouting for help from those from the banks.
Those who fell or lost consciousness were crushed under hundreds of feet as people fought to find a way out of the crush.
Diamond Island, named for its shape, is a small sliver of land that sits close to the bank of the Tonle Sap. Previously just another nameless island in the wide, brown river, it has been developed in the past couple of years into a shopping and entertainment precinct.
Rainbow Bridge, is barely 40 metres long, and brand new. The suspension bridge was only built this year, and the public have only been allowed on it for the three days of water festival.
Monday was supposed to have been a happy night: Bon Om Touk, Cambodia's water festival, is the biggest party of the year here, when the normally sleepy city of Phnom Penh is swelled by more than a million visitors, international tourists coming for the parties and the boat races and Cambodian visitors arriving from the provinces to give thanks for the end of the rainy season.
The city was full, there were market stalls and music, vendors and partygoers crowding every available inch of space.
This morning, Cambodian time, Rainbow Bridge was still littered with thousands of shoes, shirts and hats, left behind in the panic that consumed those on the bridge.
Several thousand people are crowded around, on both sides of the river, held back by police tape and roadblocks manned by armed soldiers.
On the river's banks, family members of the victims make Buddhist offerings and pray for those lost.
At the nearby Calmette hospital, Cambodia's largest, a makeshift open-air morgue has been laid out in the hospital grounds.
Inside a large white tent, the bodies of those killed are laid out in lines on straw mats. Those identified are covered with a white sheet, while those unknown are left exposed as flies buzz constantly in Cambodia's stifling heat.
Family members who have found the body of a loved one sit by it, waiting for the paperwork to be completed so they can take their relative home.
Boupha Lak sits at her daughter's feet, gently stroking them.
"She went to the festival to see her friends, but she was alone on the bridge when it happened – her friends, I have seen today, they were on the other side. She was found on the bridge, crushed underneath all the other bodies. They told me she was on the bottom."
Crude coffins, lined with wallpaper begin arriving in army trucks. They will be given to the family members of victims, along with the offer of transport to take their loved ones home.
"Most of those killed were not from Phnom Penh, they were from the provinces," a policeman, who declines to give his name, tells the Guardian.
"They had not seen the bridge because it is new, they wanted to see it, and to walk on it.
"And they didn't know the river was not deep," he says, pointing to his hip to indicate the depth of the river. "The river was okay to stand, but they don't know about this because they are not from Phnom Penh, and they think it is a big river and they cannot swim."
The Cambodian capital today swirls with rumours about what caused the stampede which trapped thousands on the short, narrow suspension bridge. At least 395 people were killed in the panic, either suffocated in the crush or drown having fallen unconscious into the water. More than 500 were injured.
Prime Minister Hun Sen described the stampede as the biggest disaster the country had experienced since the mass killings of the Khmer Rouge regime. He declared Thursday a national day of mourning and ordered all government ministries to fly the Cambodian flag at half-mast.
Some at the scene yesterday said the crush started when speculation swept the tightly packed crowd that the bridge was about to collapse. Some have reported seeing the bridge bouncing under the weight of thousands of people.
Others said the panic was caused by the multi-coloured lights strung from the suspension ropes sparking, a rumour of food poisoning or a gang of youths robbing people in the crowd.
The bridge was supposed to be only one way for people to leave Diamond Island. Another bridge 200 metres away was for people going to the island, but the Rainbow Bridge was closer to the music and the festival on the cityside banks of the river.
Just before 10pm, when celebrations were in full swing, the panic began, with those trapped on the bridge fighting to find a way clear and shouting for help from those from the banks.
Those who fell or lost consciousness were crushed under hundreds of feet as people fought to find a way out of the crush.
Diamond Island, named for its shape, is a small sliver of land that sits close to the bank of the Tonle Sap. Previously just another nameless island in the wide, brown river, it has been developed in the past couple of years into a shopping and entertainment precinct.
Rainbow Bridge, is barely 40 metres long, and brand new. The suspension bridge was only built this year, and the public have only been allowed on it for the three days of water festival.
Monday was supposed to have been a happy night: Bon Om Touk, Cambodia's water festival, is the biggest party of the year here, when the normally sleepy city of Phnom Penh is swelled by more than a million visitors, international tourists coming for the parties and the boat races and Cambodian visitors arriving from the provinces to give thanks for the end of the rainy season.
The city was full, there were market stalls and music, vendors and partygoers crowding every available inch of space.
This morning, Cambodian time, Rainbow Bridge was still littered with thousands of shoes, shirts and hats, left behind in the panic that consumed those on the bridge.
Several thousand people are crowded around, on both sides of the river, held back by police tape and roadblocks manned by armed soldiers.
On the river's banks, family members of the victims make Buddhist offerings and pray for those lost.
At the nearby Calmette hospital, Cambodia's largest, a makeshift open-air morgue has been laid out in the hospital grounds.
Inside a large white tent, the bodies of those killed are laid out in lines on straw mats. Those identified are covered with a white sheet, while those unknown are left exposed as flies buzz constantly in Cambodia's stifling heat.
Family members who have found the body of a loved one sit by it, waiting for the paperwork to be completed so they can take their relative home.
Boupha Lak sits at her daughter's feet, gently stroking them.
"She went to the festival to see her friends, but she was alone on the bridge when it happened – her friends, I have seen today, they were on the other side. She was found on the bridge, crushed underneath all the other bodies. They told me she was on the bottom."
Crude coffins, lined with wallpaper begin arriving in army trucks. They will be given to the family members of victims, along with the offer of transport to take their loved ones home.
"Most of those killed were not from Phnom Penh, they were from the provinces," a policeman, who declines to give his name, tells the Guardian.
"They had not seen the bridge because it is new, they wanted to see it, and to walk on it.
"And they didn't know the river was not deep," he says, pointing to his hip to indicate the depth of the river. "The river was okay to stand, but they don't know about this because they are not from Phnom Penh, and they think it is a big river and they cannot swim."
The Water Festival also known as ‘Bon Om Thook' in Cambodia is celebrated yearly in November to commemorate the end of the country's rainy season as well as the reversal of flow of the Tonle Sap River. It is also seen as a way of giving thanks to the river for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest celebrations are held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. For three days, workers from every province join with the city's residents to celebrate by night and day.
Activities include boat races (a tradition over a thousand years old that commemorates the power of the ancient Khmer Empire) and concerts to entertain the crowd.
The festival attracts several million people each year.
Boo Weisheng
What was supposed to be a joyous occasion had ended in great tragedy. It was even declared by the Prime Minister of Cambodia that this is the biggest disaster the country had experienced since the mass killings of the Khmer Rouge regime.
ReplyDeleteOn the 22nd November 2010, the last night of the Water Festival, a stampede in the Cambodian capital has left more than 395 people dead and more than 500 injured. This happened after panic erupted at the festival that had attracted millions of people.
The tragedy took place on Rainbow Bridge, a narrow bridge to an island in Phnom Penh where festivities were being held to mark the end of the annual event. The Rainbow Bridge is barely 40 metres long, and brand new. The suspension bridge was only built this year, and the public have only been allowed on it for the three days of water festival.
But up till now, officials are still unsure why there were so many people at the bridge and the cause of the panic. Survivors said panic set in when several people were electrocuted. Police said some had shouted that the bridge was about to collapse, triggering the scuffle. Others said the panic was due to a rumour of food poisoning or a gang of youths robbing people in the crowd.
The Prime Minister had ordered an investigation into the cause of the stampede and declared Thursday would be a national day of mourning. Government ministries were ordered to fly the flag at half-staff. He said that the government would pay the families of each dead victim 5 million riel (US$1,250) for funeral expenses and provide 1 million riel (US$250) for each injured person.
Many festival-goers were left in tears after the tragic end to the three days of boat races, concerts and fireworks.
After reading this sad article, i feel sorry and sympathetic for the people and their families who were affected by this. This is because that day was supposed to be a special and joyous occasion for all of them to enjoy and yet a lot of them ended up injured and even dead because of this tragic incident. I hope that the authorities can do a very thorough investigation what actually happened so they could give the people affected a proper explanation.
ReplyDelete