After Weekend of Heavy Rain, Storm Nock-Ten Barrels On

At least one person was killed and 20 homes were damaged nationwide this weekend after tropical storm Nock-Ten hit Cambodia on Saturday, local officials and the Ministry of Water Resources Management and Meteorology said yesterday.

After causing heavy rain and winds in 14 northern and coastal provinces, Nock-Ten moved to­ward Thailand through Laos yesterday, according to Chan Yutha, spokesman for the Water Resour­ces Ministry.

“There is no more wind, but it could rain through Monday,” he said. “There will be some rain in seaside and plateau areas.”

Nock-Ten, which is named after a Laotian bird, killed more than 50 people in the Philippines last week.

Mr Yutha said this weekend’s heavy rains were not as serious as the storms in October last year that caused flash floods in some areas, but officials are still monitoring river water levels in case of danger. Currently, the water level in the Me­kong river stands at 8 me­ters, 2 meters short of emergency levels.

In Kompong Thom province’s Santuk district, Kun Khim, 35, died Saturday when heavy winds toppled a tree onto him in Kraya commune, said commune police chief Cha Sokhorn. In Kep province, 19 houses were damaged by heavy winds on Saturday and early Sun­day, said deputy provincial governor Ken Sitha, while a house in Koh Kong province lost its roof.

Koh Kong provincial administration chief Ouch Touch said that although there were no fatalities from Nock-Ten in his province, Koh Kong’s many fishermen were struggling.

“Fishermen are scared to go out fishing. They have not been fishing for several days, so they will have difficulties as they rely on daily fishing,” he said.

Both Koh Kong and Preah Siha­nouk provinces saw heavy winds abate yesterday afternoon. Preah Sihanouk Deputy Police Chief Si­eng Kosal said ankle-deep floodwaters had impeded traffic on Na­tional Road 4 on Saturday and Sun­day morning, but that the road was still open.

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