police and military forces join the search work (Source: Xinhua/VNA) Vientiane (VNA) - Laos authorities have been making every effort to search formissing people after the collapse ofthe Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in Attapeu province’s Sanamxay district ofLaos on July 23.
According to Bongsak, vice head of the battle office of the Attapeu’s MilitaryAffairs Section, police and military forces and those from enterprises havebeen mobilised for the search.
On the ground, hundreds of rescuers from various forces have used canoes, boatsand ships to scour 13 flooded areas.
In addition, search and rescue forces fromThailand and the Republic of Korea also used individual dinghies to search in narrowareas and forests.
Along with the search and rescue work on the ground, helicopters have beenmobilised in the past two days to look for missing persons.
However, the search has encountered many difficulties as the affected area is verywide, the water level remains high and there is a lack of transport.
The Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam burst at8:00pm on July 23, releasing 5 billion cubic metres of water which caused flashfloods in 10 low-lying villages and completely isolated Sanamxay district. Fiveof Sanamxay district’s villages – namely May, Hinlath, NhaytheSanong Tay,Thasengchan, and Thahin – were entirely submerged.
At a press conference on July 25, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said131 people were missing after the dam collapsed in Attapeu’s Sanamxaydistrict.
He also said 587 families with 3,060 people havebeen made homeless.
All villagers stranded on roofs of submergedhouses or on trees have been moved to safe places. Rescuers have also providedhealth check-ups, along with tents, clothes, food, water and medicine for thevictims.
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung on July 26handed over 200,000 USD in aid relief from the Vietnamese Government to LaoAmbassador to Vietnam Thongsavanh Phomvihane to help the country in theaftermath of the collapse.
Earlier on July 24 and 25, Party GeneralSecretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh all sent messages of sympathy totheir Lao counterparts over the great human and property losses caused by thecollapse of the dam.
After the incident, President of the Republic ofKorea (RoK) Moon Jae-in has ordered robust measures, including sending anemergency relief team to Laos to help victims affected by the collapse.
The hydroelectric power project is beingconstructed by the Sepien-Senamnoi Power Company (PNPC), a joint-venture formedin March 2012 by SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C), Korea WesternPower (KOWEPO), Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding (RATCH) and LaoHolding State Enterprise (LHSE).
Construction of the project began in February2013 and commercial operations were originally expected to begin this year.-VNA
According to Bongsak, vice head of the battle office of the Attapeu’s MilitaryAffairs Section, police and military forces and those from enterprises havebeen mobilised for the search.
On the ground, hundreds of rescuers from various forces have used canoes, boatsand ships to scour 13 flooded areas.
In addition, search and rescue forces fromThailand and the Republic of Korea also used individual dinghies to search in narrowareas and forests.
Along with the search and rescue work on the ground, helicopters have beenmobilised in the past two days to look for missing persons.
However, the search has encountered many difficulties as the affected area is verywide, the water level remains high and there is a lack of transport.
The Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam burst at8:00pm on July 23, releasing 5 billion cubic metres of water which caused flashfloods in 10 low-lying villages and completely isolated Sanamxay district. Fiveof Sanamxay district’s villages – namely May, Hinlath, NhaytheSanong Tay,Thasengchan, and Thahin – were entirely submerged.
At a press conference on July 25, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said131 people were missing after the dam collapsed in Attapeu’s Sanamxaydistrict.
He also said 587 families with 3,060 people havebeen made homeless.
All villagers stranded on roofs of submergedhouses or on trees have been moved to safe places. Rescuers have also providedhealth check-ups, along with tents, clothes, food, water and medicine for thevictims.
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung on July 26handed over 200,000 USD in aid relief from the Vietnamese Government to LaoAmbassador to Vietnam Thongsavanh Phomvihane to help the country in theaftermath of the collapse.
Earlier on July 24 and 25, Party GeneralSecretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh all sent messages of sympathy totheir Lao counterparts over the great human and property losses caused by thecollapse of the dam.
After the incident, President of the Republic ofKorea (RoK) Moon Jae-in has ordered robust measures, including sending anemergency relief team to Laos to help victims affected by the collapse.
The hydroelectric power project is beingconstructed by the Sepien-Senamnoi Power Company (PNPC), a joint-venture formedin March 2012 by SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C), Korea WesternPower (KOWEPO), Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding (RATCH) and LaoHolding State Enterprise (LHSE).
Construction of the project began in February2013 and commercial operations were originally expected to begin this year.-VNA
VNA
