Laos - Hundreds take shelter after homes destroyed by dam collapse / 24 reported dead and nearly 131
572 views · Published 19 December 2018 · 0:33 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(26 Jul 2018) STORYLINE Residents of Paksong in Laos were being housed on July 25th 2018 in an evacuation shelter after losing their homes when a dam broke in the southeast of the country. Provincial authorities issued a call for emergency aid as doctors attended to those needing help. "I feel safe here, but worry for my husband and son who are still in the village," said Tem Namsakhunpiraded, who escaped the floodwaters with three of her children and a 6-month-old grandchild. More than 6,000 people lost their homes when the dam gave way on July 25th, flooding surrounding villages. *** Authorities and the builder are investigating why a dam in southeastern Laos collapsed on July 25th, killing at least 24 people and leaving 131 missing. Floodwaters that rose to rooftops were slowly receding on July 26th as villages began digging out of the deluge of mud from the dam's failure. The state-run Vientiane Times reported the thousands stranded in the disaster were rescued by July 25th. It cited Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as saying on July 25th that more than 3,000 people were left homeless when the auxiliary dam of a joint venture hydroelectric project with two South Korean companies gave way after days of torrential rains. Hundreds traveled by boat, bus and pickup trucks to shelters in nearby towns. The Red Cross, South Korean government and other organizations rushed water purifiers, food and other aid to the area. Bounyong Phommachak, a Red Cross official, said 24 bodies had been recovered. Initially Laos' state media reported that hundreds of people were missing and feared dead. The discrepancies could be due to difficult communications and heavy rains, which have hampered rescue efforts. The exact circumstances of the dam's collapse remain murky. *** Lao authorities ordered closer monitoring of hydroelectric facilities as they investigate why a dam in the country's southeast collapsed July 25th, killing at least 27 people and leaving 131 missing. Floodwaters that rose to rooftops were slowly receding on Thursday as villages began digging out of the deluge of mud from the dam's failure. In a report issued on July 26th, the state-run Vientiane Times said the Ministry of Energy and Mines had ordered closer monitoring of water levels in reservoirs and of conditions at dam sites. It said the thousands of people stranded on rooftops and in trees had been rescued by July 25th. Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith described the disaster as the worst in years in the impoverished country, with more than 6,000 people displaced after the auxiliary dam of a joint venture hydroelectric project gave way after days of torrential rains. Thongloun said authorities were investigating if the dam's collapse resulted from heavy rainfall or from inadequate construction standards. The South Korean company responsible for building the dam, SK Engineering & Construction, also said it was trying to determine why the dam failed. The Red Cross, South Korean government and other organizations were rushing water purifiers, food and other aid to shelters crowded with hundreds of displaced families evacuated from a half-flooded no-man's-land of orange mud and debris. 00:32:04 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/77e36e15221e4a54be2e103b3351caaa
