PHNOM PENH, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The flooding of the Mekong River has affected 13,688 families across four Cambodian provinces, forcing 1,551 families to evacuate to higher ground, a disaster control spokesperson said Tuesday.
Soth Kim Kolmony, spokesperson for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said Kratie, Tboung Khmum, Stung Treng, and Kampong Cham provinces have faced severe flooding since last Friday, triggered by the aftermath of Typhoon Saudel.
"Among them, Kratie and Tboung Khmum were hit the hardest, affecting 7,934 and 3,951 families respectively," Kolmony said.
He said the rising waters have inundated over 9,000 homes and submerged over 4,000 hectares of rice paddies. No casualties have been reported.
Cambodia regularly experiences flash floods of the Mekong River between July and October, with NCDM data showing 19 fatalities from floods last year.■
