After three of their homes collapsed at around 9a.m on Saturday, residents of Khtor village, Prek Leap commune, along Mekong River, are urging the authorities to build embankments to stop landslides. Authorities claim the collapse was a result of natural disaster.
Two other families’ homes in Khtor Village sustained structural cracks while the foundation was destroyed, rendering them uninhabitable. A building with over 20 rooms fell into the river, leaving only the building’s frame and metal roof connected to the concrete road.
Nop Makara, 44, who owns that building, said he was devastated by the loss of his property. Despite his repeated assertions that he has witnessed enormous sand mining barges passing behind the building, the government maintained that the collapse was due to “natural causes” and had “nothing to do with sand mining”.
Makara said the authorities had acknowledged his land and the building (which is rented out) was constructed three years ago with 38 holes filled. However, the back portion of the building broke and made an odd sound for roughly three days before it collapsed entirely.
Fortunately, he said, the occupants in the rented units removed their things when it started to break on February 1 before it fell into the river the next day. His family’s finances have now been severely impacted following the loss of the rental. He owes the bank nearly $20,000 in debt.
“I make a living by renting out these houses, but now they’re gone. I am so upset that I can’t even put it into words. I’m at point zero right now,” Makara lamented. He is not certain if the authorities would help or rebuild the riverbank.
According to Phon Layheang, 42, another resident, she became concerned when the house next door collapsed into the river as she had nowhere else to go but her house where she lives and works as a clothes washer. She would face financial difficulties if her house also collapsed since she lacked the money to relocate or construct a new one.
“I have no other place to live, and I have children to support. I don’t earn much and I have bank debts, so it will affect my livelihood,” Layheang said.
When the officials visited the village, they advised those living by the river to be careful, but offered no help or solution to the affected residents. She alleged that “sand dredging” in the region was one of the reasons why the houses along the river fell, particularly those close to the river.
“I urge the authorities to rebuild the riverbank. Please reconsider moving [the sand dredging activities] near our zone far from our houses as it may cause [more] landslides, and practically all of them could fall,” Layheang alleged.

Resident Im Sina, 60, said a significant portion of her house fell, rendering it unlivable after her neighbor’s house collapsed into the river. As a result, she was forced to temporarily live with relatives.
Having lived in Cambodia during the state era (People’s Republic of Kampuchea from 1979-1989), she requested the government to stop issuing sand dredging licenses to companies close to residential homes because they are the only shelter for the inhabitants. Therefore, she wants to see the government focus on strengthening riverbanks.
“I urge the government to [supervise] sand dredging [activities]. Please assist those in need,” Sina pleaded.
Collapsing riverbanks are frequent, said Preap Mony, chief of Prek Leap commune, noting that this was not the first time it happened. The riverbank in the vicinity has fallen multiple times from 2021 to 2025.
The commune chief said the erosion of the concrete road by the river was the reason why the bank in Khtor village collapsed, but mentioned that the dredging of the river will deepen it, slow its flow and prevent erosion of the riverbanks.
“Since the water hits the banks when the middle of the river is shallow, we merely want to dredge it to deepen it. When the riverbed is shallow, the water erodes the banks causing it to collapse. Some people don’t realize that dredging helps the water flow,” Mony said.
Although there are roughly 60 families residing there, he said the Phnom Penh Municipality is looking at immediate ways to keep the riverbank from collapsing after the recent incident. If an immediate solution is not put in place, the situation could exacerbate when the rainy season begins because of the river’s rapid flow, which will impact nearby infrastructures.
“The municipality will study whether to restore the middle of the river to a deeper depth. The second measure, which will cost roughly $3 million, is to reinforce the riverbank with rocks about 200 meters along the bank to build [it as strong as the sides of] a dam,” Mony added.
A 2020 University of Southampton study found that sand dredging in the Mekong River, particularly in Cambodia, caused riverbeds to lower, leading to unstable riverbanks, collapsing banks, and damage to infrastructure and homes, which put people at risk.
Regarding this, Yang Kim Eng, executive director of People’s Center for Peace and Development, said as this was not the first time houses collapsed into the river, the government ought to take action to resolve the issue so that people can return to their neighborhood and offer assistance to those in need.
Kim Eng added that in order to protect those who are vulnerable to landslides, officials should construct riverbanks and urge the public to exercise caution. Research on whether sand dredging can lead to riverbank collapses and have an impact on the environment and people should also be done by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
“The authorities can find a safe place to relocate people, study the problems or find ways to prevent this from happening again,” Kim Eng suggested.
Meanwhile, Heng Kimhong, executive director of the Cambodian Youth Network, expressed concern about the incident and its impact on people’s homes along the Mekong or Chaktomuk rivers. In this sense, the government should have a system to control the sand mining industry and safeguard the riverbanks. If not, it will affect biodiversity, hydrological systems and people who live near riverbanks.
“The collapse of the riverbank could affect infrastructure, with people losing land and houses. Thus, the government should come up with a mechanism to ensure that people along the riverbank are not impacted by sand mining activities,” Kimhong said.
Dor Samphors, deputy director of administration for Phnom Penh Municipal and its spokesperson, declined to comment as she was in a meeting.
On February 3, Chroy Changvar district authorities released a statement which denied a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) claiming that the collapse of the Mekong river bank in three different locations was due to sand dredging. The authorities asserted that the collapse was due to natural causes.
“In the last 10 years, the Ministry of Mines and Energy never granted any licenses for sand dredging business in the Chroy Changvar area,” read the statement.
Around the same time, the Phnom Penh municipality also explained why the Phnom Penh governor did not respond to RFA’s questions, stating that RFA was not located in Cambodia. It is a radio station that “always violates journalism ethics” and was “slanderous”.
Ung Dipola, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Energy, could not be reached for comment.