A total of 11 people have now died due to flooding in the country since mid-September, while the worst affected area, Banteay Meanchey province, continued to suffer amid torrential rain on Thursday night, government officials said on Friday.
Banteay Meanchey provincial government spokesman Ouk Ratanak said that flood water was between 1 and 3 meters deep in areas of Serei Saophoan and Mongkol Borei districts where almost 600 people had to be evacuated from their homes in recent days. Two people died, one in each district, in the past week, Mr. Ratanak said.
“If it keeps raining like this, we will face even more difficulty,” he added.
Keo Vy, deputy director of information at the National Committee for Disaster Management, said that 11 people have died in Banteay Meanchey, Kompong Thom and Siem Reap due to flooding and 47,000 hectares of rice paddy, and more than 2,000 hectares of other crops have been damaged.
Flood levels in Kompong Thom province are “alarming,” Mr. Vy said, adding that residents along the Stung Sen River have been warned to exercise extreme caution due to the heavy rains in recent days.
Floodwaters in Poipet City continue to recede, after more than 1,000 families had to be evacuated from the border city last week.
