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Cambodia

Cambodians mourn stampede dead

Cambodia is holding a day of mourning to honour the almost 350 people who died during a massive stampede on a bridge four days ago.Prime Minister Hun Sen led an emotional memorial ceremony alongside grieving relatives at the site of Monday’s disaster.

Cambodians burn incense sticks as they pay their respects to the stampede victims in Phnom Penh.
Cambodians burn incense sticks as they pay their respects to the stampede victims in Phnom Penh. Reuters
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The nation's annual water festival turned deadly when crowds of revellers apparently panicked following rumours that a bridge to an island in Phnom Penh was about to give way, officials say.

Witnesses say some people were crushed on the bridge and others fell into the river.

After the ceremony, Phnom Penh residents lined up to pay their respects.

“I came here to share the pain of all those families who have lost a relative and to hope that the dead rest in peace and protect us,” one of the participants, Hok, told RFI.

Others at the ceremony said they wanted the bridge, which as been nicknamed devil bridge by a Cambodian daily, to be destroyed.

“I think the bridge will be destroyed because most Cambodians are superstitious and think it’s cursed. They won’t dare cross it,” Sothik said, adding that “The Koh Pich island has attracted many couples who want to get married there, and they won’t want to cross this bridge any more.”

 

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