Death toll rises to 9 after dam collapse in Laos, 122 remain missing

Xinhua | Updated: 2018-07-29 19:45

Villagers are seen stranded on rooftop of a house after an under-construction dam collapsed in Attapeu, Laos, on July 24, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

SANAMXAY, Laos - Nine people were confirmed dead while 122 others were still missing after a dam collapsed, triggering flash flood in southern Laos on Monday, a provincial official said on Sunday.

Minaphone Saisomphu, deputy party committee secretary of Attapeu Province, deputy commander of the rescue operation, confirmed the deaths with media at a press conference on Sunday.

According to her, one body was found on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 9.

Minaphone said they found 131 people missing according to reports from village leaders and villagers.

However, if they subtracted the number of rescued villagers from the total population of these affected villages, there are still 1,122 people who haven't reported to the government.

She said the government is now making cards for rescued villagers to count the number again to clarify the problem.

Minaphone also said the rescue operation now advanced smoothly as there were altogether 180 rescue personnel as of Sunday. One Chinese team of eight people and three teams of 49 people from Thailand joined the rescue work.

She added that the government set up some 12 health service centers in the Sanamxay town and in the disaster-hit areas to take care of villagers and provide them trainings on disease-prevention.

As of Sunday, the disaster-hit area received some 33.69 billion kip (about $400,000) of money and relief materials from Laos and other countries.

The collapse of the under-construction Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam caused flash flooding in several villages of Sanamxay district.

Being constructed by Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Power Company, a joint venture of South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, the hydroelectric power project is estimated to cost $1.02 billion, and to have an annual electricity generation of approximately 1,860 GWh.

Feasibility study for the hydroelectric project was completed in November, 2008. Construction of the project began in February 2013 and commercial operations are expected to begin in 2018.