Flood death toll in Cambodia rises to 25

Flash floods in Cambodia have so far claimed 25 lives and forced the evacuation of 37,396 people, Seak Vichet, a spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said on Monday.

Tropical storm-triggered rains caused floods in 19 of the kingdom's 25 cities and provinces since the beginning of the month, he said, adding that 312,224 people have also been affected.

"As of Monday morning, the floods have killed 25 people," he told Xinhua, adding that the worst-hit provinces included Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat and Kandal as well as Southwestern suburb of Phnom Penh.

The floods have also inundated 73,720 houses and 293,177 hectares of rice and other crops, the spokesman said. Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training spokesman Heng Sour said on Monday that 77 garment and footwear factories in Phnom Penh and Kandal province have been hit by rain-induced floods, and 23 of them suspended their operations temporarily.

"Approximately 17,000 workers were affected by the suspension of production," he told Xinhua.Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen wrote on his official Facebook page on Monday that the government has so far raised more than 7 million U.S. dollars from charitable people to help the flood-stricken victims.

Floods usually hit Cambodia between August and October. Last year, Mekong River and flash floods claimed 30 lives, as storms killed eight people and injured 131 others, according to the NCDM. (/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )