Falling tree kills driver at Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction
One person has been killed and three others injured at Cambodia’s famed centuries-old Angkor temple complex
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One person has been killed and three others injured at Cambodia’s famed centuries-old Angkor temple complex after a large tree was blown down onto their vehicle during a fierce rainstorm, a government statement said on Wednesday.
The accident occurred late Tuesday afternoon at the southern gate to Angkor Thom, which is near the more famous Angkor Wat temple and part of the same archaeological complex in the northwestern province of Siem Reap, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
The site is Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction and in the first half of this year attracted more than half a million international tourists, according to Cambodia's Tourism Ministry.
The tree fell on a tuk-tuk — a kind of motorized three-wheeled vehicle popular in South and Southeast Asia — killing the driver instantly and injuring its three passengers, one critically, according to a statement issued by the Siem Reap Provincial Administration on Wednesday.
Several statues on the balustrade of what is called Tonle Oum Gate were also damaged by the fallen tree, the statement said.
The Apsara National Authority, the government agency that oversees the archaeological park, posted photos late on Tuesday on its official Facebook page showing the fallen tree in front of the temple entrance. The agency later announced that the fallen tree had been removed so that the entrance was again accessible for visitors.
The Angkor site sprawls across some 400 square kilometers (155 square miles), containing the ruins of capitals of various Cambodian empires from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Scholars consider it to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.