Storm-damaged home in Puok district, Siem Reap province, on 21 Feb 2009 (Photo: Savyouth, RFA)21 Feb 2009
By Savyouth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
In the evening of Friday 20 Feb, a violent storm touched down in three communes of Puok district, Siem Reap province, causing 20 injuries among the villagers, and damaging 400 homes.
At the same time, hundreds of students had to miss school when their classrooms were damaged.
An official from Puok district, located 20 km west of Siem Reap city, indicated that, at least 23 people were injured and a cow died, while more than 400 homes were damaged when they fell down or had their roofs blown off by the violent storm touching down on three communes comprising 20 villagers, in the evening of Friday 20 Feb.
Pech Sokhalay, Puok district governor, said in the afternoon of 21 Feb that, based on preliminary investigation, about 100 homes fell down to the ground, whereas hundreds of other homes can be repaired, a cow died, and large amount of material was destroyed. The authority is currently performing a tally of the damage.
Pech Sokhalay said: “More than 100 homes fell down, some homes just tilted, some are just damaged and we can fix them back. The provincial and district authorities, and the Red Cross are looking for means to provide help.”
An anonymous official from the provincial office of the Red Cross, who was registering the names of the victims, indicated that about 400 homes fell down to the grown or were damaged on the roof in the 3 communes: “The preliminary numbers show that 109 homes fell down to the ground, 344 homes had their roof damaged but they can be repaired. There are 23 people injured.”
Local villagers claimed that the storm accompanied by a twister, thunders, rain and hail started about 5PM on Friday. Bun Thoeun, a villager from Chambok Her village, Puok commune, said that the sky turned black, then lightning and a violent storm approached his area, a phenomenon he never saw before in his life.
Bun Thoeun said: “The sky was dark, we knew it would rain, I saw a mass the size of a calf with lightning streaking across, it was a twister from the bottom up … a twister, people started to hold on to (fence) wires, thumb-size hail fell down and hit and hurt my body. My wife and children grabbed onto a mango tree…”
Vann Sokem, a 15-year-old boy from Chambok Her village, also said that his father was hit by tin roof sheets that the wind blew in and he was seriously injured and passed out. He needed immediate surgery and was sent in emergency to Siem Reap hospital: “The blown tin roof hits my father on his chest and he passed out, my mother told me…”
The principal of the Kok Pnov village school, located 6 km from Puok district, said that his concrete-built school which consists of 5 classrooms, had the roof completely damaged, and 250 students were forced out of school.
In March 2008, a violent storm also hit Sorsor Sdam commune, Puok district, as well. That storm killed two villagers and injured 6. More than 130 homes were also damaged during that time.
At the same time, hundreds of students had to miss school when their classrooms were damaged.
An official from Puok district, located 20 km west of Siem Reap city, indicated that, at least 23 people were injured and a cow died, while more than 400 homes were damaged when they fell down or had their roofs blown off by the violent storm touching down on three communes comprising 20 villagers, in the evening of Friday 20 Feb.
Pech Sokhalay, Puok district governor, said in the afternoon of 21 Feb that, based on preliminary investigation, about 100 homes fell down to the ground, whereas hundreds of other homes can be repaired, a cow died, and large amount of material was destroyed. The authority is currently performing a tally of the damage.
Pech Sokhalay said: “More than 100 homes fell down, some homes just tilted, some are just damaged and we can fix them back. The provincial and district authorities, and the Red Cross are looking for means to provide help.”
An anonymous official from the provincial office of the Red Cross, who was registering the names of the victims, indicated that about 400 homes fell down to the grown or were damaged on the roof in the 3 communes: “The preliminary numbers show that 109 homes fell down to the ground, 344 homes had their roof damaged but they can be repaired. There are 23 people injured.”
Local villagers claimed that the storm accompanied by a twister, thunders, rain and hail started about 5PM on Friday. Bun Thoeun, a villager from Chambok Her village, Puok commune, said that the sky turned black, then lightning and a violent storm approached his area, a phenomenon he never saw before in his life.
Bun Thoeun said: “The sky was dark, we knew it would rain, I saw a mass the size of a calf with lightning streaking across, it was a twister from the bottom up … a twister, people started to hold on to (fence) wires, thumb-size hail fell down and hit and hurt my body. My wife and children grabbed onto a mango tree…”
Vann Sokem, a 15-year-old boy from Chambok Her village, also said that his father was hit by tin roof sheets that the wind blew in and he was seriously injured and passed out. He needed immediate surgery and was sent in emergency to Siem Reap hospital: “The blown tin roof hits my father on his chest and he passed out, my mother told me…”
The principal of the Kok Pnov village school, located 6 km from Puok district, said that his concrete-built school which consists of 5 classrooms, had the roof completely damaged, and 250 students were forced out of school.
In March 2008, a violent storm also hit Sorsor Sdam commune, Puok district, as well. That storm killed two villagers and injured 6. More than 130 homes were also damaged during that time.
5 comments:
That house looks more like it was damaged by old age than storm.
Its time to log some fresh wood and build a safe house.
1:29 PM
If it easy as you think they would build a house with metal....
hope they all good by now
feel sorry for them....
No metal is too expensive for our pocket book. Wood is free and it grows very fast here.
Storm and lightning are looking for the corruptors and traitors!!!!
Ah Hok Landy is waitting!!!!!!!!!!!
YOUN burns khmer alive...
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
Post a Comment