China prepares send-off for late Cambodia ex-king

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, Oct. 16 2012 9:00 p.m. MDT

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A mini-bus carrying the casket with former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk leaves from the Beijing hospital for the airport in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. Sihanouk died Monday at age 89 of a heart attack in Beijing, where he had been receiving medical treatment since January for multiple ailments. His body will be flown back to Phnom Penh Wednesday.

Ng Han Guan, Associated Press

Summary

Chinese police have escorted Cambodia's former King Norodom Sihanouk's body from a Beijing hospital to the airport for return to Phnom Penh.

BEIJING — Chinese police have escorted Cambodia's former King Norodom Sihanouk's body from a Beijing hospital to the airport for return to Phnom Penh.

Sihanouk died Monday at age 89 of a heart attack in Beijing, where he had been receiving medical treatment since January.

Beijing traffic authorities cleared several roads and a highway on Wednesday as a bus decorated with yellow flowers and apparently carrying Sihanouk's body traveled to the airport with a few dozen black cars and minibuses.

Chinese state television carried live coverage of the procession while Chinese flags at Tiananmen Square and other key locations in the capital flew at half-staff.

In Cambodia, officials expect at least 100,000 people to line the route from the Phnom Penh airport to the Royal Palace.

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