Floodwaters displaced another 74 families on the outskirts of Phnom Penh in Dangkao district on Wednesday as water levels continued to rise, according to Nop Puthea, director of the district’s administration.
The flooding began on Sunday night when a dam in Kompong Speu province collapsed after weeks of heavy rain.
The water released from the destroyed dam flooded a reservoir in Dangkao, breaking a second dam on Monday afternoon and forcing authorities to evacuate 235 families.
Overflow from the river flooded four more communes on Wednesday, adding to the six communes already affected, Mr. Puthea said.
“There is more and more flooding,” said Ly Vann, a soldier assigned to help build a sand bridge at the second broken dam.
“It’s causing difficulties for kids to get to school.”
Water levels rose by about 1 meter today in some areas downstream from the second broken dam, Mr. Vann said.
In an effort to drain Dangkao, villagers broke a small dam in Prek Kampoes commune to let the water flow into the Bassac River, Mr. Vann said.
