We blogged a few posts back about the tragedy that occurred in Phnom Penh last week due to the bridge stampede causing a staggering loss of life from the crushing crowds on the bridge that killed an estimated 400 people. This week marks the seven day Buddhist funeral ceremony, where relatives put out offerings to appease their dead ancestors so their ghosts do not come back to haunt them. Because of their Buddhist and animist beliefs, Cambodians are now very scared of the many deaths that have taken place, and are afraid of the ghosts and wandering spirits that have not had a proper burial. Now what we see throughout the city are many offering sites with incense sticks, candle wax, and bananas, and then the authorities passing the buck so the blame does not land on them.
Many say the bridge won't be used anymore and that they should just take it down because of all the dead and the ghosts that will haunt it and the island that it was connecting. This is a very real to Cambodians, who for centuries have had these beliefs, so the underlying fear in the city is very evident. We now pray that the Khmer people will learn through this event, that God is bigger and more powerful than any evil spirits.
Our prayers are with the people of Cambodia, where such a useless loss of life could have been prevented. Though not the least bit surprising, with safety standards and crowd control as poor as they are here, it is more of a surprise that this has not happened before, or that the loss of life was not even higher.
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