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Stampede Tragedy Left Reaksmey and his Younger Brother Orphaned
For many people in Cambodia, November 22nd 2010 will always be a sad day. For little Reaksmey, a seven-year old boy who accompanied his older sister, his aunty and his mother to Phnom Penh from Kien Svay district of Kandal province to join the Water Festival celebration on the third and last day, day in his life. Raksmey and his family expected to enjoy the firework display and have fun during the festival in Phnom Penh. For most people from the rural areas in Cambodia, the Water Festival is an opportunity to come to see the lights of the city. Tragically, the worst imaginable thing happened that will change Reaksmey’s life forever. Hundreds of people were trapped in a stampede that killed over 300 people, and Reaksmey lost all three of his relatives in one accident.
Reaksmey lost three relatives to the stampede tragedy which happened on the last day of the Water Festival. He lost his loving mother, his aunty, and his eleven-year-old elder sister. All three lifeless bodies were taken to different hospitals in Phnom Penh. The little boy survived the stampede that killed more than 300 people by hiding between the thighs of a big person. On 24th November, the second day that Reaksmey was being treated at Calmette hospital for injuries, he was doing better emotionally. He said with less tears, “I miss my Mom and older sister so much.” Reaksmey was getting I.V. drip in his arm and he still had pain on his hip. A doctor said that Reaksmey is better than yesterday. When he was first brought to the hospital, he lost consciousness. Ms. Chheng, sister of his grandmother sadly says, “A doctor tells me that there are only two corpses left and there are no relatives come to get them. I went to see the corpses. I recognize one amongst them is an older sister of Reaksmey. Now I contact to my village chief in order to issue identification documents to bring the corpses back home for a traditional funeral.” The relatives could not take the corpses back home unless they showed proper identification documents of the deceased, such as identification cards or family book. Ms. Chheng is trying to get the documents from authorities so that she can take the bodies back to Kandal province. Ms. Chheng says with a hopeless face, “The mothers are gone, but how about their children?” Reaksmey has another twenty-month-old brother at home. His father died of an illness since the mother had pregnancy Reaksmay’s youngest brother.. « All Feature Stories |
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