Weather

Heavy rains and flooding caused the collapse of a bridge in Ratanakkiri's Veun Sai district, leaving thousands of villagers without access to the district town, to which they travel each day for goods and services, including medical care, rights groups officials and affected villagers said Wednesday. The 30-metre wooden bridge linked Veun Sai town to five villages, said Khum Samrith, an Adhoc officer. Khum Samrith said the bridge had been replaced just last year. The director of the Department of Meteorology said rains and flooding had been particularly devastating this year. Seth Vannareth called the bridge the latest casualty of abnormally heavy downpours that have ravaged Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces since mid-April. Ratanakkiri Deputy Governor Sim You Song expressed concern about villagers who remained stranded. He said he was "raising money from provincial officials" to build bridges in both Lumpat and Veun Sai districts, adding that he hoped the bridges would be completed "as soon as possible".