Rescue teams in Ratanakiri province are doubling down on efforts to find four family members who were swept away by rising floodwaters 10 days ago when Typhoon Bualoi hit the region, which is now experiencing tremors from an earthquake that struck early Monday morning.
Cambodia's northeast province was battered by the typhoon, which also hit Vietnam and the Philippines last week, causing flash floods, and landslides along the coast and in the highlands, leaving one person dead and four people in a family missing after their house and farms were suddenly flooded. Search and rescue teams continue to comb the area for the four from Ping village, Samaki commune in O'Chum district.
Water levels of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers have, however, receded slightly as of October 6, 2025, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said.
Water levels of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers have, however, receded slightly as of October 6, 2025, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said.
According to the Ratanakiri Provincial Information Department, several districts including Lumphat, Kon Mom, Andong Mea, Veun Sai, O'Chum, Bar Keo and O'Ya Dav were flooded from September 23 to 29, 2025.
Ratanakiri deputy provincial governor Ma Vichet, who heads the provincial disaster management committee, confirmed that the most affected districts were O'Chum, Andong Meas, O'Ya Dav, Veun Sai and Ta Veng districts, which are located along the Se San River. It has been 11 days since the four men, women and children went missing.
He said the authorities have expanded the search area to Ta Veng, Veun Sai and Sesan River, adding that geographical problems and a lack of equipment and skilled personnel hindered the search.
Apparently, the location where it happened is challenging, leaving the expertise to the local authorities to research and carry out the search. "We have also submitted a request to the national level for additional technical teams and materials. We will continue looking for them and will not abandon the task," Vichet said.
He added that this is the first severe flooding ever, which has caused loss of lives and damage to homes and farms. As the provincial authority, citizens will be informed regularly to protect themselves next year, as no one could have predicted this natural disaster.
"This year's situation is bad and unprecedented because the rain was more intense than expected," Vichet said.
Soth Kimkolmony, spokesperson for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), which is the government agency in charge of disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts, said the floods affected 49 cities and districts, equivalent to 32,292 families. The authorities evacuated 2,607 families to safe areas, but 20,872 hectares of rice crops were affected with 1,714 hectares damaged.
The water is gradually receding and in some provinces, it has receded significantly, meaning the situation is not worsening. "As for Ratanakiri, the situation has returned to normal, with no new cases reported," Kimkolmony said.
As if the floods were not enough, Ratanakiri resident Bun Roeung said he felt his house tilting to one side with the door swinging and creaking around 1 a.m on Monday. He quickly assumed it was an earthquake.
"I think it was an earthquake because my house felt like it was on a boat, and it was vibrating," Roeung added.
Another resident of Ratanakiri province, who asked not to be named, said she noticed that her house was "shaking differently than usual", but only for a short period of time. This was the second time they felt tremors in Ratanakiri.
She requested the authorities monitor and inform the public early so that they can prepare in advance for any potential disaster.
"We are worried that there will be serious issues in the future and do not receive any information or prepare in advance. If possible, the authorities should give out early warning and cooperate with [weather] experts to inform the public about the risks and precautions," she said.
Vichet said experts have not confirmed whether there was an earthquake because the issue needs further research. While tremors have been felt in the area in the past, details on the possibility of an earthquake are scarce due to limited expertise, he said. As such, he cannot provide details about the earthquake.
But, given that this is a natural disaster, authorities at the national and provincial levels would pay attention and continue to disseminate information in accordance with policies, he added.
Meanwhile, Earthquake News Everyday reported a magnitude 5.3 earthquake which affected Kon Tum in Vietnam, Ban Lung in Ratanakiri, Cambodia, and Champasak in Laos at 1:28 a.m on October 6, 2025. Cambodia has a low probability of being directly hit by an earthquake.
According to ThinkHazard, an online tool developed by the World Bank's Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Program to assess natural hazards, Cambodia has only a two percent chance of earthquakes occurring within its borders in the next 50 years.
On September 26, 2025, Prime Minister Hun Manet instructed the NCDM and other relevant institutions to continue monitoring the flood situation this year and be prepared to implement measures to rescue people.