Updated on
Summary
At least 345 people been killed in a stampede during festival celebrations in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen has confirmed the deaths. Huge crowds had gathered on a small island for the annual Water Festival, one of the main events in the Cambodian year. The stampede took place on a bridge. An eyewitness told AP news agency the trouble began when 10 people fell unconscious in the crowd. Hundreds are reported to have been injured in the crush. The authorities had estimated that more than two million people would descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day festival.Panic occurred after a concert on Diamond Island, which followed a boat race on the Tonle Sap river regarded as a highlight of the festivities.The bridge became jammed up with people, some crushed under foot and others falling into the water.
