Khmer Times/Mom Kunthear
Sunday, 15 May 2016
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Prime Minister HE has called for authorities to better manage the Kingdom’s trees after a storm in Siem Reap province uprooted dozens around the Angkor Archeological Park over the weekend, with authorities fearing temples could be damaged in the future as a result.


Mr. HE took to Facebook on Saturday urging local authorities to assist citizens whose houses were close to large trees, putting them more at risk when faced by natural disasters.


“Please, all people, be careful, especially the houses built close to the big trees and be quick to report to the authorities if they are faced with a natural disaster like this or if they need any assistance,” he said.


“The authorities have to pay attention to repair the houses and schools to make sure the villagers have shelter, and keep watching the tress at the temple park that are easily knocked down and affect the temples.”


The Apsara Authority reported that a large storm hit the temple complex on Friday evening, with trees falling near Bakheng temple and along some of the roads in the park.


“The breaking and falling down of the trees did not affect any of the temples,” the statement said.


“Apsara Authority officials went down immediately to take the trees away from the road in order to avoid traffic jams and [the trees to] press on the temples.”


The Authority announced earlier this month they would start systematically removing trees they believe pose a risk of damaging the temples if felled during the annual monsoon season.


Siem Reap province’s Pouk district police chief Tep Pumsen said six people were injured in Friday’s storm that raged across six communes and affected 600 houses.


“The rain lasted about two hours and completely destroyed 72 houses and 502 houses had their roofs torn off,” he said, adding that 300 district and military police officials were deployed to help villagers affected.


Meanwhile, two men died and another was injured by a lightning strike on Friday during a storm in Banteay Meanchey province’s
Malai district, according to a National Police report.


The men were moving cassava from their farm onto a tractor when they were struck by lightning, the report said.


A National Committee for Disaster Management report said during the first week of this month, 40 storms were recorded in 18 provinces, causing more than 30 deaths and damaging nearly 2,000 houses.