Heavy rain on the night of July 14 flooded 70 houses and more than 50 families were affected in Phnom Proek district in Battambang province.

Provincial governor and head of the provincial committee for disaster management Nguon Ratanak told The Post on July 15 that the provincial administration had sent forces to rescue people and none of them had been in danger.

More than 50 families had been affected by the rain, 40 were evacuated to high ground.

He added that livestock had not been affected and was removed to high ground. However, some farms in the area were flooded. According to initial information, he could not confirm the extent of the damage as the flood had yet to recede.

“It was torrential rain. Villages were flooded because land conditions are mountainous with high ground and low-lying areas. Usually if there is rain, the water flows downward, but this heavy rain caused flooding,” he said.

The provincial committee for disaster management reported that flooding had also damaged a 2,500m gravel path and two roads in the district.

Provincial deputy police chief Lim Borseng told The Post on July 15 that 40 families and crops of corn and cassava in O’Thom village in Phnom Proek commune were flooded, while 19 families in Baraing Thleak commune had been affected, three of them were the hardest hit. A total of 70 houses in the district had been affected.

“The flooding caused by the rain did not pose a serious danger at the time. Without more rain, the water will recede quickly because this area has never been flooded,” he said.

Borseng called on people to take precautions during the rainy season, especially taking care of children, as disasters can quickly arise.