Thousands of Homes Flooded in Northeast Provinces

Aug 12, 2011
VOA


Photo: AP

Past flooding in Cambodia. Provincial officials said Friday that flooding has inundated thousands of homes in northeast Cambodia, after heavy rains swelled the Mekong River.

“In general, the water is still rising, and we are still concerned.”

Flooding has inundated thousands of homes in northeast Cambodia, after heavy rains swelled the Mekong River, provincial officials said Friday.

As many as 5,000 homes have been flooded, while hundreds of disaster officials have been mobilized, even as the river’s level continues to rise.

Hardest hit are the provinces of Stung Treng and Kratie, where families have been evacuated and where roads and towns are flooded, though so far no deaths have been reported.

Stung Treng Governor Loy Sophat said 37 villages there have been affected, along with 40 kilometers of road and flooding in the provincial capital.

“We deployed more than 150 provincial police, military and military police, as well as road-crossing agents, to the flooded districts, to help evacuate villagers and transport their animals to safety,” he said. “In general, the water is still rising, and we are still concerned.”

Kratie Governor Kham Phoeun said about 4,000 homes were flooded, along with five pagodas, 26 schools and 5,000 hectares of rice fields across five provinces.

Chhoung Seang Hak, the provincial police chief, said people were still in their homes, despite the flooding. Some 500 police were on alert to help with the emergency. Landslides were also a worry, he said.

Chan Yutha, cabinet chief for the Ministry of Water Resources, said water level will recede in Stung Treng on Saturday, Kratie on Sunday, and Kampong Cham on Monday.