NA Chairwoman extends sympathies over Laos’ dam collapse
Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has sent a message of condolences to her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou over the collapse of the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Attapeu, Laos on July 23.
Villagers are evacuated after the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydro-power dam collapsed in Attapeu province, Laos. (Photo: KPL/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has sent a message ofcondolences to her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou over the collapse of the Xe Pian-XeNam Noy hydropower dam in Attapeu, Laos on July 23.
“On the behalf of theNational Assembly and people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, I convey myheartfelt and deepest sympathies to you and the people of Laos, particularly thefamilies of victims and those affected,” Ngan said in the message.
“I am confident thatunder the leadership and interest of the Party, State, and National Assembly ofLaos, the fraternal Lao people will soon overcome the losses and surmount theaftermath of the incident,” she added.
The Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noyhydropower dam burst at 8pm on July 23, discharging 5 billion cubic metres ofwater, causing flash floods in 10 low-lying villages and completely isolatingSanamxay district. Five of Sanamxay district’s villages – namely May, Hinlath,Nhaythe Sanong Tay, Thasengchan, and Thahin – were entirely submerged.
The disaster has left at least 18 dead, around 200 people still missing, andmade over 1,300 families of 6,600 people homeless. No Vietnamese casualtieshave been reported so far.
The Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant is being constructed by the Xe Pian-Xe NamnoyPower Company (PNPC), a joint venture between the Republic of Korea’s SKE&C and Korea Western Power, Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity GeneratingHolding, and Lao Holding State Enterprise.
The project, estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, is the first build-operate-transfer(BOT) model to be undertaken by Korean companies in Laos. The dam is 90 percentcompleted and operation was due to start in 2019.
On July 24, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding issued a press releaseannouncing that unexpected heavy rains caused the dam to collapse. High volumesof rainwater fractured the dam and caused a deluge in the downstream area ofXe-Pian River, it said. –VNA
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.
Tran Thanh Man, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, on July 25 sent a message of sympathy to President of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee Xaysomphone Phomvihane over the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu on July 23.
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Local firm CMVietnam has expressed its readiness to partner with its major contractor, Korean SK Engineering & Construction, and Lao authorities in the search and rescue efforts following the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu on July 23.
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Villagers are evacuated after the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydro-power dam collapsed in Attapeu province, Laos. (Photo: KPL/VNA) 
