15 Vietnamese households in Laos are safe after the hydroelectric dam collapsed.
There were no casualties among the Vietnamese community living in Attapeu province after the Xe Pian - Xe Namnoy dam collapsed.
|
People in Attapeu province had to take temporary shelter on their roofs due to flooding on July 24. Photo: Reuters. |
"All 15 Vietnamese families in the area affected by the hydroelectric dam collapse are safe," said Nguyen Duy Quan, Consular Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, today.numberThe auxiliary dam of the Xe Pian - Xe Namnoy hydropower project inAttapeu province, Southeast Laos, night of July 23.
Staff of the Consulate General of Vietnam inPakxe is scheduled to work with local authorities this morning to address related issues. They have arrived.Sanamxay district, where the dam broke yesterday.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos is also coordinating with local authorities to carry out citizen protection work if any Vietnamese are affected. In case of necessity, people can contact the citizen protection hotline in Laos at 008562096106775 or in Vietnam at 0084981848484.
At least two people were confirmed dead and many villagers were still missing, with thousands left homeless, authorities in Attapeu province, Laos, said yesterday afternoon.Meanwhile,BBCCiting private sources, at least 20 people were killed and 100 people were missing.
According to the Vientiane Times Facebook account, seven villages with 1,300 households and more than 6,000 people are still submerged in floodwaters after the dam burst.Lao rescue forces used helicopters and boats to evacuate stranded residents, calling on government agencies and communities to provide emergency aid with clothing, food, drinking water and medicine to people in affected areas.
The project, built by Laos’ PNPC, consists of three dams on branches of the Mekong River. The project, with a total cost of 1.02 billion USD, began construction in February 2013 and is expected to be operational in 2019. The new hydropower plant will have an output of 410 megawatts, of which 90% of the electricity will be exported to Thailand and the rest will be fed into the local grid.
The collapsed auxiliary dam is part of a network of three main dams and five auxiliary dams in the Xe Pian - Xe Namnoy hydropower dam project, which is being managed by contractors from Thailand, South Korea and Laos.
The first crack was discovered on the dam on July 22, according to the South Korean contractor SK Engineering & Construction. By 9 p.m. the same day, the dam was partially damaged, the contractor had alerted the authorities, and villagers near the dam began to evacuate. A team of engineers was sent to reinforce the crack on the dam, but encountered difficulties due to heavy rain.
