Five days of rain wreaked havoc in Cambodia’s northwest, with hundreds of hectares of crops affected in Pailin province and heavy flooding in Banteay Meanchey’s Poipet town.

In Stung Trang commune of Pailin’s Sala Krao district, 55 homes were flooded while “many hundreds” of hectares of cassava, corn and rice fields were destroyed or damaged, District Governor Sam Saret reported yesterday, adding that some families were evacuated.

“Authorities intervened to evacuate some families to safety on hills while the rain kept falling,” Saret said.

Given that the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology predicts more rain this week, Saret expressed concern over residents being able to vote on Sunday’s commune election.

“The voters and election organisers will face many problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Poipet town, floodwaters affected roads, homes, the Prom Nimit Primary School and Wat Thmey Pagoda, forcing authorities to deploy flood barricades, Deputy Town Governor Norng Thoeun said.

According to Thoeun, “flooding occurred because of waste from people littering, which blocked the sewage system, and three days of rain”. He added that authorities are working with residents to unblock the drainage pipes “so that the water will recede quickly”.

According to the latest ministry weather forecast, rains will continue to fall throughout the Kingdom through June 1.