Dam collapse in Laos: Sanamxay declared emergency disaster zone
The Lao government on July 24 declared Sanamxay district in Attapeu province an emergency disaster zone after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam flooded the district.
Sanamxay district submerged after dam collapse (Source: xinhua)
Vientiane (VNA) - The Lao governmenton July 24 declared Sanamxay district in Attapeu province an emergency disasterzone after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam flooded thedistrict.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam burstat 20:00 on July 23, releasing 5 billion cu.m of water which caused flashflooding in 10 villages in lower areas and completely isolated Sanamxaydistrict. Five out of Sanamxay district’s villages, namely May, Hinlath,NhaytheSanong Tay, Thasengchan and Thahin, were entirely submerged.
According to local authorities, 18 bodieshave been found while about 200 people are still missing. No Vietnamesecasualties have been reported so far.
Head of the Secretariat of Laos’ NationalDisaster Management Committee Prasong Vongkhamchan said the committee isproviding accommodation, food, clothes and medicine to the victims.
It has also worked with soldiers and policeofficers to move affected residents to safer areas and to search for missingpeople.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant isbeing constructed by the XePian-XeNamnoy Power Company (PNPC).
The PNPC is a joint venture between Republicof Korea’s SK E&C and Korea Western Power, Thailand’s RatchaburiElectricity Generating Holding and Lao Holding Sate Enterprise.
The project, estimated to cost 1.02 billionUSD, is the first Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) one to be undertaken by Koreancompanies in Laos.
On July 24, Ratchaburi ElectricityGenerating Holding issued a press release announcing that unexpected heavyrains caused the dam to collapse.
High volumes of rainwater fractured the damand caused a deluge in the downstream area of Xe-Pian River, it said.-VNA
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Sanamxay district submerged after dam collapse (Source: xinhua) 
