Phnom Penh (FN), Aug. 15 – Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology Lim Kean Hor confirmed Thursday that recent flood in Sihanoukville and other provinces was caused by consecutive heavy rainfalls, speaking at the Press Conference on "Flood Update" at the Council of Ministers.

“There are two main causes of flood in Cambodia: excessive rainfall, which recently occurred in Sihanoukville, Kampot, Koh Kong Ratanakiri… The second reason was by the rise of water level of Mekong,” said Minister Lim Kean Hor.

According to the Minister, the average amount of annual precipitation at Sihanoukville is 999 mm, yet lately it rose to 2,764 mm. Flood in Sihanoukville and Rattanakiri province has caused four deaths with one Chinese.

“There are seven provinces affected from heavy rainfall and the most serious flooding is in Preah Sihanouk, Ratanakiri, Mondolkiri and Battambang province.” National Committee for Disaster Management spokesperson Keo Vy said, “At least four people died because of floods.” He told Khmer Times.

Vy said at least 1,176 families were evacuated from the districts of Kon Mom and Lumphat in Ratanakkiri while 2,252 other families are affected; and the other 307 families were evacuated in Mondolkiri province’s Koh Nhek district.

He said 264 families were evacuated in Kampot province’s Kampot city and Toek Chor district, while thousands of hectares of rice and crop were damaged across the Kingdom. “Authorities are working hard to rescue our people across the country,” he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife Bun Rany have donated about USD 1,250 to the family of a 15 year-old girl who drowned on late Friday in Ratankiri province.
=FRESH NEWS