The Kulen Mountain waterfall area in Siem Reap has been temporarily closed to tourists due to rapidly rising floodwaters, with at least two rivers surpassing emergency alert levels as of Monday, September 15.
Local authorities decided to announce the temporary closure of the site as of 7am on September 15, citing the dangerous rise of floodwaters, according to the Siem Reap Provincial Information Department.
Meanwhile, flooding conditions in the Stung Sen River in Kampong Thom province and neighbouring Siem Reap province’s Stung Sreng River also exceeded warning levels on Monday.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology stated that Cambodia is currently under the influence of low-pressure systems forming over the South China Sea, the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, the Mekong Basin and the southwest monsoon system.
These conditions have been and are continuing to cause persistent rainfall across Cambodia, driving up water levels in several key rivers and triggering official flood warnings at certain stations. At the Stung Sen station, the water level has risen to 13.51 metres, surpassing the alert level of 13.50 metres.
Video Source: Siem Reap Provincial Department of Information in Cambodia
Similarly, at the Stung Sreng station in Siem Reap, the water level climbed to 8.24 metres, which is 0.24 metres above the emergency threshold.
The ministry has urged local authorities and residents along the Stung Sen and Stung Sreng rivers, as well as nearby areas, to exercise heightened caution in response to the flooding risk to prevent potential dangers.
On Monday, water resources minister Thor Chetha instructed ministry leaders at all levels to strengthen cooperation with provincial and municipal water resource departments to closely monitor the conditions of reservoirs and irrigation systems.
He urged increased vigilance and readiness to respond effectively to possible flooding, including flash floods.
The instructions were issued as the minister inspected water conditions along the Prek Tnaot River and several canals in Kampong Speu, Kandal and Takeo provinces.
