Cambodia stampede

At least 313 people have been killed in a stampede at a water festival on a small Cambodian island, the Cambodian government has said. The stampede occurred on the island of Koh Pich following a traditional boat race along the Tonle Sap river on Monday evening. Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed sorrow over the incident.  "With this miserable event, I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims," he said.  

So Cheata, a soft drink vendor, said the trouble began when 10 people fell unconscious in the crush of the crowd. She said that caused a panic, which then turned into a stampede. Many people were trampled. Part of the crowd pushed onto a bridge, which also jammed up, with people falling under others and off the bridge. So Cheata said hundreds of hurt people were left lying on the ground afterward. Authorities had estimated that more than three million people could descend on the capital, Phnom Penh, for the three-day water festival. Koh Pich is near Phnom Penh. Police and other emergency services were unable to immediately provide more details, saying they were too busy attending to the injured. A district governor said that the incident was the festival's "biggest tragedy" ever. "This is the biggest tragedy we have ever seen," said Sok Sambath, governor of Daun Penh district. Cambodia is one of the region's poorer countries, and has an underdeveloped health system, with hospitals barely able to cope with daily medical demands.