Death toll in Cambodia boast disaster rises

The recovery of a 14-year-old student's body from Cambodia's Mekong river has brought the death toll of a boat accident to 11, a senior official said.

The small boat, carrying students aged 12-14 who were returning from an English class, went down in the river late Thursday, killing 11 children. Four people - two students and two of the boat’s crew - survived.

The small boat was overloaded and sank about 50 metres from its destination in southeastern Kandal province after it began taking on water, local police chief Am Thou said on Friday.

"It's a sad accident. Eight students died and three students remain missing in the water," Am Thou said.

Major General Chhoeun Socheth, chief of the Kandal provincial police who led the search for the victims, said rising water levels due to heavy rains had caused the disaster.

In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his condolences and urged people to be cautious during heavy floods that have raised the level of the Mekong.

Boat accidents are common in the Southeast Asian nation, with people who live along the river reliant on them for transport.

In 2009, an overloaded river ferry capsized in northeastern Cambodia killing at least 17 passengers.

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