At least two people were injured and almost 40 houses badly damaged as storms battered two districts in Svay Rieng province on Tuesday afternoon.

According to provincial police chief Khiev Sokhum, the storm struck at about 2:30pm. The first to be injured was 24-year-old Touch Sreymao, who sustained a broken leg after a pillar she was taking cover behind collapsed in Romeas Hek district’s Kampong Trach commune.

“Her thigh bone was badly broken and requires surgery,” Sokhum said yesterday.

Around an hour into the storm, 47-year-old police officer Nov Phalla was slightly injured when a house he was attending to collapsed in Svay Chrum district’s Chhoeuteal commune.

The two injuries take the total number of people hurt nationwide during storms this year to 189, while 86 people have died, according to National Committee for Disaster Management spokesman Keo Vy.

In addition, almost 8,000 houses have been damaged, with 1,600 of those completely destroyed, while 40 schools and 26 government or religious properties have been affected.

“The cases of death and injury, and damage to properties caused by rainstorms and lightning this year have increased by more than half compared to the same period last year,” Vy said.