Hundreds of people are missing and several are feared dead after a hydropower dam which was under construction in southern Laos collapsed, causing flash flooding which swept away several homes, state media reported on Tuesday. The disaster has claimed several human lives, left hundreds of people missing and more than 1,300 families (6,600 people) homeless.
The dam that collapsed is part of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, which involves Laotian, Thai and South Korean Firms. The Company who built that dam said heavy rain and flooding caused the collapse and it was cooperating with the Laos government to help rescue villagers near the dam.
The dam collapsed at 20.00 hours on Monday (July 23) releasing 5 billion cubic metres of water and several hundred people are missing and homes have been swept away, the Lao News Agency said. It said several people had died.
Many people loosing their lives, homes and rice fields. #Attapue #Flood #Laos #Damcollapsed #StaystrongAttapue pic.twitter.com/Wt8IHkO8mt
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SK Engineering & Construction, a South Korean company with a stake in the project, said fractures were first discovered on the dam on Sunday before it collapsed.
The disaster management team of the government is at the rescue of the affected area.
SIASAT NEWS