PHNOM PENH: A stampede in the Cambodian capital has left at least 339 people dead after panic erupted at a water festival crammed with millions of revellers.
Dozens of ambulances with their sirens blaring raced to the scene of the tragedy, which occurred late on Monday on a bridge leading to an island in Phnom Penh where festivities were being held to mark the end of the three-day annual event.
At least 339 people died in the incident “and the toll will increase”, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Cambodian television. He added that it was not immediately clear exactly what triggered the stampede.
“This needs to be investigated more,” Hun Sen said, adding that a committee would be set up to examine the incident. He also offered his condolences to the families of the victims. Witnesses reported people pushing and shoving in the crowd.
