PHNOM PENH, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Wednesday that flash floods in Cambodia have so far claimed 34 lives and forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of people.

"To date, 34 people were killed, including 18 in Banteay Meanchey province," he said while distributing relief kits to about 10,000 flood-hit families in Northwestern Banteay Meanchey province.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound condolences to the bereaved families for this great loss," the prime minister said.

The flooding is another trouble for the kingdom, which has been suffering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hun Sen said, adding that the costs of damage from the natural disaster have not been estimated yet.

Seak Vichet, a spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said on Monday that seasonal rains, exacerbated by tropical storms, have caused floods in 19 of the kingdom's 25 cities and provinces since the beginning of the month.

He said 312,224 people have been affected, as 37,396 others evacuated to safer ground.

Also, the floods have inundated 73,720 houses and 293,177 hectares of rice and other crops, the spokesman said. Enditem

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