The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology issued an alert on Monday warning people who live along the Mekong River that water levels could rise rapidly in some provinces over the coming days. Ministry spokesman Chan Yutha told The Post that in some places floodwaters could reach danger zones.
Impacted areas were listed as Stung Treng, Kratie, Kampong Cham and Tbong Khmum provinces, where many districts are already flooding.
Yutha continued that water levels in Stung Treng could climb to 11.40 metres, 22.15 metres in Kratie, and 25 metres in Kampong Cham.
“In Tbong Khmum, waters keep rising up and the ministry has been issuing announcements about the water level. Water in the Mekong River will rise because it keeps raining and the water flows from Thailand and Laos,” he said.
National Committee for Disaster Management’s spokesman Keo Vy said in Tbong Khmum, nearly 200 families in Tonle Bet and Chiro communes have been evacuated to safe hills.
Vy said low areas in Kratie province have also been flooded, adding that inflows from China are also making the problem worse.
He appealed to some provinces – Stung Treng, Kratie, Kampong Cham, Phnom Penh, Kandal and Prey Veng – which are located along the Mekong River, to be cautious.
“If the river water rises, it could flow into the Tonle Sap River and Tonle Sap Lake and the six provinces located around the lake could flood too,” he said.
Vy said flooding in Kampot province was responsible for damaging a wooden bridge, waters completely destroyed a similar one in Kampong Speu province.
Stung Treng’s provincial administration issued an additional announcement on Monday saying the waters could keep rising this week.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the government had donated $100,000 in humanitarian aid to the government of Laos in a show of support for the victims of flooding there, caused by the collapse of a hydropower dam in Attapeu province.