BFF-05 Mekong floods kill 32 people in Cambodia so far: spokesman

281

ZCZC

BFF-05

FLOODS-CAMBODIA

Mekong floods kill 32 people in Cambodia so far: spokesman

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 3, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Mekong floods have claimed 32
lives in Cambodia, including 15 children, in the last six weeks, Keo Vy, a
spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said
Monday.

Six provinces along the Mekong River, namely Stung Treng, Kratie, Tboung
Khmum, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, and Kandal, have suffered from the Mekong
overflow, he said.

The floods had affected almost 100,000 families, forcing 8,963 families to
evacuate to higher grounds, the spokesman said.

Besides, more than 23,000 hectares of rice paddy and 3,100 hectares of
other crops had been destroyed, he added. “The water is receding these days
and we hope that the situation will improve in coming weeks if there is no
more rain or impact from storms,” he told Xinhua.

Floods usually hit the Southeast Asian nation between late July and
October. In 2011, the country suffered the worst from flooding, killing up to
250 people, according to the NCDM.

BSS/AFP/MSY/0851 hrs