Death toll in Cambodia water festival stampede rises to 378

The death toll from a stampede at a Cambodian festival rose to 378 yesterday, with hundreds more injured.

Rescuers are trawling a muddy river for more bodies after Monday's disaster, when a panic-stricken crowd of thousands tried to flee over a narrow bridge. Many people were crushed underfoot or fell over its sides into the water.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan said total casualties reached over 1,000, with 378 people killed and 755 injured.

He said this was not the final count.

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The prime minister called it the country's biggest tragedy since the murderous 1970s reign of the Khmer Rouge and has ordered an investigation into the cause of the stampede.

Tomorrow has been declared a national day of mourning. Government ministries were ordered to fly the flag at half-mast.

The prime minister said the government would pay the families of each dead victim 780 for funeral expenses and provide 156 for each injured person.

His special adviser Om Yentieng denied some reports that the victims were electrocuted by lighting cables and that the panic was sparked by a mass food poisoning.

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Authorities had estimated that more than two million people would descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day water festival, the Bon Om Touk, which marks the end of the rainy season and whose main attraction is traditional boat races along the river.

In this year's event 420 of the long, sleek boats competed, with crews of up to 80 racers each.

The last race ended early yesterday evening local time, the last night of the holiday, and the panic started later on Koh Pich – Diamond Island – a long spit of land wedged in a fork in the river where a concert and exhibition were being held.

It was unclear how many people were on the island to celebrate the holiday, though the area appeared to be packed with people, as were the banks.