Cambodia Water Festival turns tragic with deadly stampede

Semi-Lobster

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
SteelBird said:
This is special for Semi-Lobster because he is a Cambodian, he might understand this easier.

Latest news: As of today (2010-Nov-24) Phnom Penh is just like the night before the end of the world. Rumors are afloat all around the sky that today people who were born in the year of Monkey, Tiger and Rat must pray with 2 balsam pear, 1 glass of red Siro and 7 types of fruits. I find myself very difficult to comment on this. When I ask people why they do so and if they don't do what would happen. They answer me that they don't know but because they are believers, so they rather believe it. Last night (Nov 23) people were lighting up incense and candle along the street to pay respect to the victim. This is understandable, something people lighting white candle in western countries. What they do today is simply ridiculous to me.

An unconfirmed news: today morning there was an serious accident on road number 6A that two bus hitting each other and led to several tens death. That might explain why people are afraid that some bad omen is covering their home land.
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I wonder who started this? I'm no monk so I'm not sure how this got started or if there's a precedent for it. People deal with loss and trauma in different ways, people probably feel that they just have to do something in order to over come their grief.
 
Semi-Lobster

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
So far the investigation is saying the cause of the panic and subsequent stampede was due to the bridge beginning to sway back and forth. There was no crowd control for the island and thousands of people were pushing towards the island from both sides of the bridge. Once they got to the centre of the island though they found themselves trapped in there as more and more people kept crossing the bridge.
 
SteelBird

SteelBird

Colonel
Look like this is a bi-person thread because you and me are the only Cambodians in this forum :).

Officials said that the bridge is of hanging bridge nature that it shakes even 5 or 6 people walking on it and this make people panic because don't know this truth. I'm skeptical about this comment. To me, the bridge is type of suspension bridge built with modern technology. It is built for cars to pass through and doesn't shake that easily. If you look at the development map of Koh Pich, it doesn't include the Diamond Bridge from the beginning. Koh Pich was planned to have two bridges; the Phoenix and Dragon bridges. Because the Dragon bridge is located in the southern end of the island, it is not opened to the public (we don't even know if the bridge has been built yet). Phoenix bridge alone is not enough to handle the traffic so the Diamond bridge was built. It is more modern and beautiful than the old one but a little bit narrow. There are only two lanes and no pathway. To me, the bridge was never intended for foot-passengers. So, what was the real reason that caused to the panic?
 
Semi-Lobster

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
SteelBird said:
Look like this is a bi-person thread because you and me are the only Cambodians in this forum :).

Officials said that the bridge is of hanging bridge nature that it shakes even 5 or 6 people walking on it and this make people panic because don't know this truth. I'm skeptical about this comment. To me, the bridge is type of suspension bridge built with modern technology. It is built for cars to pass through and doesn't shake that easily. If you look at the development map of Koh Pich, it doesn't include the Diamond Bridge from the beginning. Koh Pich was planned to have two bridges; the Phoenix and Dragon bridges. Because the Dragon bridge is located in the southern end of the island, it is not opened to the public (we don't even know if the bridge has been built yet). Phoenix bridge alone is not enough to handle the traffic so the Diamond bridge was built. It is more modern and beautiful than the old one but a little bit narrow. There are only two lanes and no pathway. To me, the bridge was never intended for foot-passengers. So, what was the real reason that caused to the panic?
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I've never seen the bridge in person before so I can't vouch personally but all sources I've read describe the bridge as a 'foot bridge' and meant for walking, not cars and traffic.
 
SteelBird

SteelBird

Colonel
Semi-Lobster said:
I've never seen the bridge in person before so I can't vouch personally but all sources I've read describe the bridge as a 'foot bridge' and meant for walking, not cars and traffic.
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I judge the bridge with my eyes, no source. Can you give me one of the sources you've read? Every time I go to Koh Pich, I go in through Phoenix bridge and come out through Diamond bridge, and mostly in car. I don't think the bridge is intended for foot passengers because, in Phnom Penh, people don't even like to walk. If they used the bridges in single direction I think the situation would not be so bad (go in from Phoenix and come out from Diamond). Phoenix bridge is a little far for foot that's why people go in and out through only one bridge and it is so narrow (6 to 8m at the most).

This is a very clear video of the stampede. Wonder if you've seen it before. I just can't believe this could happen.
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