Over 7,000 families affected by floods, says NCDM

Over  7,587 families, equivalent to 6,835 households, were affected by flash floods, and 144 families have been evacuated, with one death, according to the initial report of the National Disaster Management Committee (NCDM).

Soth Kim Kolmony, the NCDM spokesman, said nine provinces have been affected by floods. Baset and Phnom Sruoch districts in Kampong Speu province are affected, with 123 families evacuated to higher grounds and more than 700 hectares of rice fields, and 108 hectares of mixed crops flooded.

Kampot province’s Toek Chhou and Kampong Trach districts and Kampot City have been hit by floods while in Kep province’s Damnak Chang’eur district and Kep city 388 families are affected and 300 hectares of rice fields are flooded.

Kampot provincial spokesman Khuth Usaphea said yesterday that so far there are more than 2,000 flood-affected areas but no families have been evacuated.

He added that in Kampot province floods had killed one person, injured two, and left one missing.

Mao Thonin, Governor of Kampot province, provided yesterday six tonnes of rice to each of the nine districts in the province.

Kim Kolmony said that in Koh Kong province’s Sre Ambel and Thmar Baing districts, 149 families are affected by flooding but 21 families have been evacuated to safety.

He said that in Mondulkiri province’s Koh Nhek and Keo Seima districts, 115 families or 81 households are affected, and 82 hectares of rice fields are flooded.

He added that in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan district, 64 families and 64 houses were hit by floods, while National Road No 4 in Preah Sihanouk was covered with water at three locations or a total of 410 metres of road.

In Siem Reap province, floods affected 42 households in Sot Nikum, Banteay Srei, Varin, and Angkor Chum districts, and nearly 1,000 hectares of rice crops are affected.

“Ratanakiri has also been hit by flash floods, but we haven’t heard any reports of people in danger or houses that are inundated by water,” he said.

Inary Net, Deputy Governor of Koh Kong province, said that it “didn’t rain as much this morning (yesterday)” as a few days ago.

She said that the water in Russei Chrum and Chumneap communes has receded, and people have been sent back home. But authorities are still monitoring the weather and are ready to rescue people if the floods return.

“In Thmar Baing districts, 37 families and 20 hectares of farmland in Trapaing Chheu Trav and Koki Chrum villages were affected by floods,” she said.

She said that the families were evacuated to a safe place at Wat Seila Mony Kiri Rainsy in Russey Chrum commune, Thmar Baing district where they can stay until it’s safe to return home.