People ride through a flooded street in Phnom Penh, following a heavy rain shower, on Sept. 26. (Photo: AFP)
Cambodians were mopping-up with floods starting to recede after a three-day respite in heavy monsoon rains that have destroyed crops, led to forced evacuations and were partially blamed for the deaths of 11 school children who drowned after their small ferry sank.
Police said on Oct. 17 that three people were detained in connection with the sinking, two were the owners of the vessel and another was the operator, a 15-year-old boy.
Thirteen students and a two-member crew were crossing flooded waters around the Mekong River, southeast of Phnom Penh, after English classes on the night of Oct. 13 and were about 50 meters from shore when the ferry sank. Two students and the two boat operators were found alive.
Police also said a preliminary investigation had found the vessel was not fit for purpose and was in “a deteriorated condition,” riddled with rotten timber and substandard joints. Authorities also said the boat may have been overcrowded and there were no life jackets on board.
Anger over the sinking has been palpable across the country with many taking to social media and expressing their condolences and criticizing the authorities for failing to enforce safety standards.
In response, authorities in the southeastern Loeuk Dek district have issued an emergency order to all waterway operators to immediately install life jackets for all passengers on board at all times, install lights for night travel and ensure vessels are river-worthy.
"Almost all of my friends drowned"
Vy Chan Bora, a 12-year-old survivor, told local media that authorities need to build a bridge crossing the tributary of the Mekong River where the tragedy occurred and said she feared getting back into a boat.
“I can remember the boat sinking when I thought I would die,” she said. “I tried to float my body on the surface of the water until I was rescued. But almost all of my friends drowned. I want to see a bridge built there to make it easy for us to travel.”
Elsewhere, the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) said waters were receding after 105 districts and 435 communes in 23 provinces experienced heavy floods. About 40 people are believed to have drowned during this year’s wet season to date.
The damage includes more than 190,000 hectares of rice fields with 112,760 households totaling 507,400 people affected. More rains are forecast for later this week.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Oct. 17 advised the National Bank of Cambodia, the country’s central bank, to meet with all lenders, including microfinance institutions (MFIs), to work out tolerance measures for those struggling to repay their bills and meet debt obligations.
“I’d like to appeal to all MFIs to check the possibility of reducing interest rates, restructuring loans, or delaying the payments for the flood-affected victims this year,” he said.