Lunar New Year giveaway leaves four dead in Phnom Penh as crowd surges

Four people died and five others were injured yesterday as a crowd scrambled for a handout of food and cash from one of Cambodia ‘s richest people as a Chinese Lunar New Year gift, officials said.

The victims were crushed as the crowd of hundreds surged forward when the gates to Sok Kong’s walled compound in Phnom Penh opened to start the distribution of $10 in cash and two kilograms of rice, police spokesperson Sam Vichhika said.

The victims, who all fainted in the crush and fell to the ground, were taken to hospital but two women and two men, aged between 37 and 71, could not be saved, he said. It was not immediately clear whether they were killed in the initial crush of the crowd or from injuries they sustained once on the ground.

Following the incident the authorities cleared the crowd and suspended the rest of the giveaway.

Sok Kong has multiple investments, including in the hotel, casino and oil industries, and is also known to have a close personal relationship with former longtime Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He and other wealthy residents of the capital traditionally give gifts to the poor annually for Chinese New Year, which begins next week. MDT/AP