Moment house collapses into canal after flash flooding in Cambodia

This is the dramatic moment a family's home collapsed into a canal when water was released from a dam during flash floods in Cambodia.Footage shows the structure tilted over next to the Prek Thei waterway in Takhmao city, Kandal province on January 16.The torrents rapidly swept away its foundation, sending it over the edge into the fast-flowing muddy torrents surging below.Authorities had earlier discharged water from reservoirs in Kampong Speu province and Phnom Penh following heavy rain in other parts of the country that triggered the flash floods.At least five houses collapsed from the surging waters over three days, leaving dozens homeless, local media reported.Victim Bou Sovann, 48, said his home was lost along with four others. He wadded: 'My house plunged into the canal yesterday. I built my house taking a bank loan. Now it has gone into the water leaving me with debt.'No one was harmed because residents noticed the erosion a week ago and shifted vulnerable people to safety before the tragedy struck the houses.'Kandal governor Kong Sophorn said rescue teams have been evacuating residents living next to the canal, where the banks were battered by the sudden deluge of water.The official said: 'Some of them don't want to move, but we want to prevent any untoward incident because the flow of water is still strong.'A concrete canal bank will be installed after the water recedes to secure the lives of the people who are living along Prek Thei canal.'Cambodia has a notoriously under-developed water management system. According to a study from WashData, nearly 3.4 million people in Cambodia - around 21 per cent of the population - do not have basic access to safe drinking water. Cambodia's population is around 16 million.Shockingly, 11 per cent of the population is said to be still relying on surface water like ponds, springs, and rivers. The situation in rural areas but even in the capital city Phnom Penh, rainwater is still widely used for drinking and other everyday tasks such as washing laundry, washing the pots, showering, washing hair or bathing.