Our sympathies to all the people who have lost family and friends in the crowd stampede disaster in Phnom Penh.

(CNN) — A stampede that occurred during a festival near Cambodia’s royal palace in Phnom Penh has killed 339 people, Cambodia’s minister of information, Khieu Kanharith, said Monday.
More than 4 million people were attending the Water Festival when the stampede occurred, said Visalsok Nou, a Cambodian Embassy official in Washington.

According to the article, the stampede was triggered by police who used a water cannon to drive people off a bridge. Senseless.

Meg, at Planning the Day, has some photos from Cambodia taken last week, giving a sense of the people and the place.

A little piece of Cambodia makes up the fabric of Providence. Our sympathies to our neighbors who are hearing sad news from home.

Providence has a deep connection with Cambodia, in the lives and work of many who have connections in both countries, and in the ministry of the late Mahaghosananda, a monk and spiritual leader who made his home in South Elmwood and founded Buddhist temples there.

The suffering of Cambodia has been deep.

From this suffering comes great Compassion.

Great Compassion makes a Peaceful Heart.

A peaceful Heart makes a Peaceful Person.

A Peaceful Person makes a Peaceful Community.

A Peaceful Community makes a Peaceful Nation.

And a Peaceful Nation makes a Peaceful World.

May all beings live in Happiness and Peace.