Floods wreaking havoc in northwest Cambodia have claimed the lives of five more people in the past week, bringing the death toll to 18, the National Committee for Disaster Management said yesterday. Officials predict water levels in the Mekong River, which started flooding last month, will continue to rise for another four to five days.

The flooding, caused by heavy rains and the opening of dams in Vietnam and Thailand, has affected seven provinces – Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey, Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng – forcing more than 2,000 families to evacuate.

“Local authorities and the Cambodian Red Cross are in provinces which were hit by flood and they have already evacuated residents to safe places to ensure their safety,” said Nhim Vanda of the National Committee for Disaster Management.