Cambodians pray with offerings near the Diamond Gate bridge
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's premier said Monday that nobody will be brought to justice over a festival stampede last week that left more than 350 people dead, but admitted the government was at fault.
"Nobody will be punished for the incident," Prime Minister Hun Sen said after the worst tragedy in Cambodia for decades.
"The incident that happened was the responsibility of the government," he said, describing it as "a historical lesson that we must remember".
Cambodia's annual water festival ended in tragedy last Monday after crowds panicked on an overcrowded bridge leading to an island that was one of the main event sites.
"They have accused us of inability. We must accept this because of the deaths," Hun Sen said at the inauguration of a new government building in the capital.
"We were careless," he added. "This was a joint mistake that nobody expected."
A total of 351 people lost their lives, the majority of them women, and questions have been raised over who is to blame for the tragedy.
Authorities have said a full report on the incident would be released in the coming days.
Initial findings from the investigating committee suggest the stampede occurred after rumours rippled through the crowd that the suspension bridge to Phnom Penh's Diamond Island was about to collapse.
"The tragedy started with our wrong assessment of the situation," said the premier, who has described the stampede as Cambodia's worst tragedy since the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 reign of terror, which killed up to a quarter of the population.
The three-day festival, which marks the reversal of the flow between the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, usually draws millions of visitors to the capital to enjoy dragon boat races, fireworks and concerts.
A national day of mourning was held on Thursday, led by an emotional Hun Sen who wiped away tears as he lit incense and laid flowers at the foot of the bridge.
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