Death toll of Cambodia bridge stampede reaches 456

A Cambodian girl lays flowers Wednesday for victims of Monday's deadly stampede in Phnom Penh. Photo: AFP

Source: Global Times

November 25 2010


via CAAi

By Lin Jiaxu in Phnom Penh and Jia Cheng in Beijing

The death toll from Monday's stampede in Phnom Penh rose to 456 Wednesday, according to a report released by a sub-committee dealing with the aftermath following the Diamond Island bridge tragedy, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The report said 347 people died in hospitals, and 109 more were killed instantly.

"Some bodies were transported home straight away and some injured people died at home," Ith Samheng, the minister of social affairs, told AFP, explaining the increased toll.

Chinese President Hu Jintao wrote a condolence letter Tuesday to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, expressing his sympathy to victims and their families. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also expressed his sorrow to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

According to Xinhua, the Red Cross Society of China donated $50,000 in humanitarian aid to its Cambodian counterpart Wednesday to help the victims.

The Cambodian government admitted that it had overlooked issues of crowd control at the three-day celebration of the annual Water Festival.

"We were concerned about the possibilities of boats capsizing and of pick-pocketing ... but we did not think about this kind of incident," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP.

A committee had been set up to investigate the cause of the stampede, he said, adding that a private security firm was in charge of Diamond Island - one of the main festival sites - and its bridges.

"The place is private, so they used their own security, and police only helped handle order outside," Kanharith added.

A witness told a Global Times reporter that, to him, it seemed police did not help people fast enough.

"I was watching the festival from the roof of the Naga World Hotel when the disaster happened. The police were standing there but did nothing.

They even barred other rescuers from entering the site," the witness said.