Cambodia, Storm in Koh Kong Province

Northwestern and central Cambodia could see lightning and rainstorms in upcoming days, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology warned on Tuesday, a day after storms damaged or destroyed at least 20 houses and a school building in Koh Kong province. The 20 houses were damaged in two villages in Koh Kong province‘ Dorng Paeng commune in Sre Ambel district, while Dorng Paeng Secondary School was seriously damaged in a rainstorm on Monday evening, Commune Chief Thean Phoeb said on Tuesday. “However, no one got hurt,” Phoeb said. Storms have killed at least one person and injured three in the first four months of this year, and completely destroyed 141 houses while damaging 569 others, according to Keo Vy, spokesman of the National Committee for Disaster Management. Last year saw two deaths and 17 injured by rainstorms during the same period. “However, lightning remains a concern for the farmers in the rural area,” he said. “In the first four months of this year, lightning killed 16 people and injured nine.” Last year, 14 people were killed during the same period, and 17 injured. Chan Yutha, spokesperson for the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, on Tuesday warned of low pressure in northwestern Cambodia that could lead to lightning and storms. “We need to be more cautious,” he said. Yutha said that the maximum temperature in the last few days has been around 29 to 30 degrees Celsius.