Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
SOPHENG CHEANG
The Associated Press
As a suspension bridge in the Cambodian capital swayed under the weight of thousands of revelers, some began to shout that the structure was going to collapse. Others pushed, heaved and even jumped off the span as a panic took hold that ended in the deaths of more than 350 people.
Though typical, the movement of the bridge terrified the festival goers — many of whom were in Phnom Penh from the provinces for the end of rainy season and were unfamiliar with such bridges, city police Chief Touch Naroth said Wednesday, citing a government investigation he took part in.
Hundreds trampled in Cambodia “People became panicked when they saw other people fall down, and they started running when they heard cries that the bridge was going to collapse,” Touch Naroth told AP Television News. The police chief shared details of the probe, though an official report has not been released.
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