Last week on the news I read about a human stampede in Cambodia that had killed over 400 people. The other only times I've heard about human stampedes is when dealing with sports events and concerts, so I was curious to follow up on the story and see what was the cause of this stampede. Authorities have now confirmed that the swaying of a suspension bridge lead to fears it would collapse and resulted in a stampede that killed 456 people at a Cambodia festival. Police fired water canons to get people to continue moving across the footbridge which lead to an island in the center of a river and that caused panic. The government said it will help to transport the bodies of those who died and pay 5 million riel to the family of each of the deceased. The three-day Water Festival in the city of Phnom Penh is held each November near the palace to honor a victory by Cambodian naval forces during the 12th century reign of King Jayavarman VII. During the festival, which includes boat races, participants pray for a good rice harvest and enough rain, and celebrate the full moon. More than 4 million people were attending the Water Festival when the stampede occurred, a number lost consciousness and fell into the water.
Link to site: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/24/cambodia.festival.deaths/index.html
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