Relatives of missing S'poreans in boating mishap arrive in Phnom Penh
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 25 November 2007 0046 hrs

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	Related News • Singapore to help in search for five missing Singaporeans: PM Lee • Five Singaporeans missing in Cambodian boat race mishap: officials

SINGAPORE: Relatives of five young men missing in Cambodia in a dragon boating accident have arrived in Phnom Penh.

They arrived on Saturday evening and were taken to the accident site by the Singapore Ambassador to Cambodia.

It was dark, though, by the time they went on the river. They were then given an hour-long briefing during which emotions ran high.

Accompanying the 13 family members are three psychologists - one from the Ministry of Health, another from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and a third from the Institute of Mental Health.

The five missing men are all members of the new national dragon boat team that was formed about a year ago.

They are 23-year-old Reuben Kee En Rui, 31-year-old Stephen Loh Soon Ann, 24-year-old Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, 27-year-old Poh Boon San and 20-year-old Chee Wei Cheng.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to the president of the Dragon Boating Association, Kwek Siew Jin, to convey his deep sympathies for the five missing Singaporeans.

Mr Kwek is currently in Phnom Penh with the family members of the missing men.

Mr Lee said he was saddened to learn of the accident, adding that it was a trying time for all, especially for the family members.

He said the Singapore government is in touch with the Cambodian authorities and providing them with the necessary help.

Mr Lee added that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had deployed a team from the Naval Diving Unit on Saturday afternoon to assist in search and rescue efforts.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen had also written to Mr Lee to assure him of his country's full support for the search operations and to express his sorrow and sympathy.

A Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said PM Hun Sen informed PM Lee that the relevant Cambodian authorities including the Phnom Penh Municipality, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and the National Committee for Disaster Management are continuing with their efforts in the search for those still unaccounted for.

Mr Lee asked Mr Kwek to convey his deepest sympathies to the family members who have been briefed on the ongoing search and rescue efforts, adding that he wished them comfort and strength during this extremely difficult period.

The accident, which happened on Friday at about 4.20pm, was caught on camera by a MediaCorp viewer Joey Paraiso who was in Phnom Penh to watch the annual race.

The boat capsized as the 22 men were rowing back to the starting line at the end of the 1.5-kilometre Cambodia-ASEAN Traditional Boat Race.

Apparently, it was swept by a sudden wave and hit a pontoon, causing the boat to overturn.

Reports say the rowers were not wearing life jackets when the accident happened.

Earlier, rescue divers said it was a challenge to find the missing dragon boaters.

In Singapore, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said he was distressed when he heard about the accident.

He added: "Right now our priorities are to find them, to provide comfort to the family members and then find out exactly what happened and then take stock of the situation. We have a good dragon boat team with strong interest among young Singaporeans and we do regularly send teams overseas to participate in this and that's why this becomes even more shocking and distressing."

He added that the other priority is to ensure the safety of the other 17 Singaporeans who were rescued.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "We obviously will want to bring them back as soon as possible. I'm sure they want to get back here as well but our priority is to make sure they have all received full treatment and that their conditions have stabilised before we bring them back."

The Ministry says Singaporeans who are concerned about relatives and friends in Cambodia participating in the event can contact the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hotline: 63320000 (24 hours)
Fax Number: 6476-7302
Email:mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg.

The Singapore team was one of the 400 dragon boat teams that took part in this year's Cambodia-ASEAN Traditional Boat Race, which attracted millions of visitors to Phnom Penh. - CNA/ch/ls/ir