Three detained over deadly Cambodian boat accident that killed children

Police questions boat owners and the operator after 11 children died when the overloaded boat sank.

By Karya Naz Balkiz

Oct 15, 2022

Four people, two students and two of the boat’s crew, were rescued following the accident on Thursday night. / AP

Cambodian authorities have detained two owners and the 15-year-old operator of a small boat that sank while carrying students aged between 12 and 15 back from an English class, killing 11 children.

Local police chief Am Thou said on Saturday the three individuals, who had been detained for questioning over the incident, "may have to face legal action," adding that they were "looking into what charges they may face".

The police chief added that the three had been sent to Kandal provincial police headquarters, where their next steps would be determined.

The boat went down in the Mekong River late on Thursday, floundering roughly 50 metres (160 feet) from its destination in southeastern Kandal province.

The boat was overloaded and lacked life jackets, the police chief said on Friday. Two adult boat operators and two students were rescued.

Local officials called off the search for survivors on Saturday morning, with the death toll rising to 11.

Heavy rains and flooding

Prime Minister Hun Sen warned people to be cautious during the heavy flooding that has raised the Mekong River's levels.

Such incidents are common in the Southeast Asian country, where people living along the river are often reliant on boats for transport.

The World Health Organisation said last year that according to assessments in 2019, more than 144,000 drowning deaths occurred in the Asia Pacific region, 61 percent of the global total.

“Of the 70,000 drowning deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2019, more than 33 percent were among children aged under 15 years,” said the UN agency.

“On average, men were three to four times more likely to drown than women,” it added.