More than 300 soldiers and officers from the Ministry of National Defence and the military police conducted a joint military exercise yesterday at the Navy’s headquarters in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district to practise rescue techniques ahead of the upcoming flood season.

Lieutenant-General Sum Samnang, secretary-general of the logistics department at the Ministry of National Defence, said the purpose of conducting the military exercise was to ensure the forces’ readiness to come to the aid of Cambodians in flood-prone areas of the country.

“The military exercise was very significant for the Royal Military Armed Forces in making pre-arrangements to save the people vulnerable to floods,” he said.

According to Samnang, in addition to the 320 participants, seven ambulances, 26 speedboats and 16 trucks were used in simulated emergency situations of reviving drowned people, rescuing stranded villagers and advanced medical treatment techniques to treat critical injuries.

Samang added that all the branches of the Ministry of National Defence, including the infantry, navy and air force, were well prepared to fight flooding.

In 2011, hundreds of Cambodians were killed in some of the worst flooding in a decade.

According to the National Disaster Management Committee, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and thousands of hectares of rice fields were damaged.

According to NCDM figures, so far this year storms have destroyed nearly 200 homes, injured nearly 60 people and killed 20.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Yuthana at [email protected]