Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell J UST days away from the first Water Festival since the tragic stampede of 2010, authorities yesterday received a dampening reminder that safety will be an issue not just around the water but in it. During qualifying...
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Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell J UST days away from the first Water Festival since the tragic stampede of 2010, authorities yesterday received a dampening reminder that safety will be an issue not just around the water but in it. During qualifying stages of the festival’s boat races, a team of more than 70 competitors were plunged into the Tonle Sap river when their boat capsized. “The boat was not stable and sank . . . because too much water was flowing in,” said Phorn Pheas, 43, a rower from the Phnom Penh-based team. “We did not row well.” Three police speedboats were used to rescue the rowers, who treaded the murky waters while hundreds looked on in surprise from the riverbank near the Royal Palace. No one was injured, but the incident was a chance for the authorities to test their safety procedures ahead of a festival that will bring with it high levels of apprehension, as well as the usual excitement, when it arrives in the capital onWednesday. The last time the three-da
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