BANGKOK, May 19, (AP): Three people were killed and several others injured when they were struck by lightning while visiting Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat temple complex. They had been seeking shelter around the main temple of the UNESCO site when the lightning struck late Friday afternoon. Video posted on social media showed two ambulances arriving in the aftermath and onlookers and site officials carrying out some injured people and helping others out on foot. Other images showed multiple people being treated in the hospital.

The day after the incident, Cambodia's Minister of Tourism Hout Hak issued a statement telling people to take down online posts about it, saying the spreading of "negative information” could harm the country's tourism sector. Authorities have released no information about the incident, but an official on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed to The Associated Press that three people - all Cambodian - were killed in the lightning strike.

The Cambodian Red Cross also posted an update saying it had delivered care packages to the families of two of the victims, a 34-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman. The Red Cross refused to comment further by phone. A spokesman for the Angkor Wat site did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a regional health official. Cambodia's government under Prime Minister Hun Manet keeps a tight grip on information, and has been accused by rights groups of using the court system to prosecute critics and political opponents. Hun Manet in 2023 succeeded his father, Hun Sen, who was widely criticized for the suppression of freedom of speech during his nearly four decades of autocratic rule. Angkor Wat is Cambodia's best-known tourist attraction, attracting some 2.5 million visitors annually, and is even featured on the country's flag.