Cambodian officials say flooding across 12 provinces has left at least eight people dead. The flooding has been caused by major rain due to Typhoon Rammasun, which has hit coastal China hard.
Authorities say they expect the waters to recede in coming days, making this year’s flooding less intense, so far, than last year.
The provinces hardest hit in the latest flooding have been Kampong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng, Nhim Vanda, a senior official at the National Committee for Disaster Management, told VOA Khmer Tuesday.
“The water level in the three provinces is not yet stable, but in the next few days, we expect the water levels to fall,” he said. “Now we are working on calculating any damages caused by the flooding.”
Kratie Governor Sar Chamrong said three people were confirmed dead in flooding that has reached “emergency” levels.
In Kampong Cham, two deaths were confirmed, both of them children, as water continued to rise Tuesday, Lun Lim Thai, governor of the province, said.
Last year, at least 168 people died across 20 provinces in severe, prolonged flooding, which damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and 385,000 hectares of rice paddies and cost Cambodia $365 million. But 2011 was one of the worst years on record, killing some 250 people and majorly damaging infrastructure.