Questions about what caused a deadly bridge stampede

Cambodia's capital late Monday mounted as the country prepared for a day of mourning later in the week.

The death toll from the stampede, at the end of Cambodia's annual water festival, rose to 378 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured. Many of the injured rested on mats in the hallways of Phnom Penh's main hospital, which didn't have enough rooms for the victims, while relatives identified bodies laid out at the back of property. Authorities trawled waters beneath the bridge where the disaster occurred for more bodies.

It wasn't clear what triggered the stampede. Some witnesses said it was set off when a handful of festival-goers crossing the crowded bridge, between downtown Phnom Penh and a nearby river island, fell unconscious, triggering a panic. Efforts to escape intensified the gridlock, as people pushed in both directions, immobilizing the crowd. Many people said they were unable to move anything but their heads for more than an hour, in some cases resting on top of dead bodies.

Survivors said they were convinced that some of the victims had been electrocuted after authorities allegedly sprayed water onto the bridge to help disperse the crowds. The bridge was illuminated with bright lights, but it was unclear whether water could have triggered any electrocutions.

Many victims were screaming for authorities to cut off the electricity, said Ly Chea Oun, a 17-year-old Phnom Penh student, who said several people were electrocuted as he lay stuck in the tangle of bodies. He had nearly made it across the bridge when leaving the island, but got stuck when a tide of people overwhelmed him. He was later rescued and taken to the hospital.

Government spokesmen denied that water cannons were used or that people were electrocuted, and said they were still trying to determine the full cause of the disaster. Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered an investigation and said Thursday would be a national day of mourning.