Cambodia to probe ferry disaster

Cambodia to probe ferry disaster

PHNOM PENH (AFP): Cambodia's tourism minister on Thursday pledged a full investigation following Wednesday's fatal sinking of an allegedly overloaded ferry linking the ancient temples of Angkor Wat with the capital.

A Taiwanese tourist drowned in the accident, apparently unable to escape the sinking boat after it rammed a bamboo fishing barricade along the picturesque and winding Tonle Sap river.

Witnesses among the 65 passengers described the ferry as overcrowded and without emergency exits, and scenes of panic as the stricken travelers plunged into the murky river without lifejackets.

The accident is the second incident to beset the popular ferry boat route in two months, following the armed robbery of scores of tourists on the Tonle Sap one month ago.