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Bangkok — Three radical were killed and respective others injured erstwhile they were struck by lightning portion visiting Cambodia's celebrated Angkor Wat temple complex. They had been seeking structure astir the main temple of the UNESCO World Heritage tract erstwhile the lightning struck precocious Friday afternoon.
Video posted connected societal media showed 2 ambulances arriving successful the aftermath and onlookers and tract officials carrying retired immoderate injured radical and helping others retired connected foot. Other images showed aggregate radical being treated successful the hospital.
The time aft the incident, Cambodia's Minister of Tourism Hout Hak issued a connection telling radical to instrumentality down online posts astir it, saying the spreading of "negative information" could harm the country's tourism sector.
Authorities person released nary accusation astir the incident, but an authoritative connected Monday, speaking connected information of anonymity owed to the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed to The Associated Press that 3 radical — each Cambodian — were killed successful the lightning strike.
Tourists sojourn the Angkor Wat temple analyzable successful Siem Reap province, Cambodia, successful an April 15, 2025, record photo.
Sao Khuth/Xinhua/Getty
The Cambodian Red Cross besides posted an update saying it had delivered attraction packages to the families of 2 of the victims, a 34-year-old antheral and a 52-year-old woman. The Red Cross refused to remark further by phone.
A spokesperson for the Angkor Wat site did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a determination wellness official.
Cambodia's authorities nether Prime Minister Hun Manet keeps a choky grip connected information, and has been accused by rights groups of utilizing the tribunal strategy to prosecute critics and governmental opponents.
Hun Manet successful 2023 succeeded his father, Hun Sen, who was wide criticized for the suppression of state of code during his astir 4 decades of autocratic rule.
Angkor Wat is Cambodia's best-known tourer attraction, attracting immoderate 2.5 cardinal visitors annually, and is adjacent featured connected the country's flag.
UNESCO calls the site, which sprawls crossed immoderate 155 quadrate miles and contains the ruins of Khmer Empire capitals from the 9th to the 15th centuries, 1 of the astir important archaeological sites successful Southeast Asia.
Cambodia has been actively processing the country to pull much visitors, including opening a caller $1.1 cardinal Chinese-funded airdrome successful adjacent Siem Reap.
Its determination to relocate immoderate 10,000 families squatting successful the Angkor Wat country to a caller colony has drawn wide disapproval from quality rights groups, however, and UNESCO itself has expressed concern.
Cambodian authorities person said the families were being voluntarily relocated, but Amnesty International and others person questioned however voluntary the relocations really person been.
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