Koh Pich Incident happens in Cambodia 2010

There were about more than two million people descended on Phnom Penh for the annual festival, whose main attraction is traditional boat which races along the Tonle Sap River. Monday night marked the end of the holiday, so a lot of people come to Phnom Penh from the countryside for three-day festival, and many won’t be coming back.

            The crush occurred on the island of Koh Pich where follows a traditional boat race along the tonle Sap River on Monday evening. A panic-stricken crowd that celebrates the end of the rainy season on an island in a river tried to flee over a bridge and many people were crushed underfoot or fell over the sides into the water. Disoriented victims struggled to find an escape hatch through the human mass, pushing their way in direction. Many of the victims drowned, suffocated or were trampled as they tried to escape and they started running and were falling over each other. After the stampede, bodies were stacked upon bodies as rescuers swarmed the area.

            There were a lot of rumors about this incident about what led to stampede. The official said that the cause of this incident was suffocation and electrocution (caused by contact with metal guard rails on either side of the bridge) but still under investigation.

            State television official reported that though we have the intervention from all concerning authorities, the incident left 352 people (222 women) dead and 395 wounded because of Cambodia is one of the region’s poorer countries, and has underdeveloped health system, with hospitals barely able to cope with daily medical demands.

            The incident was one of the country’s worst disasters ever. This is the biggest tragedy since the Pol Pot regime. The Royal Government of Cambodia declared that we mourn for November 22 and stated a national day of mourning, and ordered governmental ministries to fly the flag at half-mast.

            To remember the tragic incident at Koh Pich (Pich Bridge) on November 22, 2010 and after receiving approval form the Royal Government, the capital hall was given a duty to study the project for construction of a memorial stupa for those victims.