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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Massive flooding from Laos hydroelectric dam leaves several dead, hundreds missing |
| 2018-07-25 |
| [DAWN] Massive flooding from a South Korean-constructed hydroelectric dam in Laos left several people dead and hundreds missing, state media said on Tuesday. Rescue efforts were underway as top government officials rushed to the site and public appeals were launched for aid. The official Lao news agency KPL said the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in southeastern Attapeu province collapsed on Monday evening, releasing large amounts of water that swept away houses, flooded villages and made more than 6,600 people homeless. A later report on the website of the state-run Vientiane Times newspaper, however, said water had overflowed the dam, rather than bursting it. It said the dam was at risk of collapse, and rain and strong winds predicted for the next few days could make the situation worse. It said two people were confirmed dead by Tuesday afternoon from flash floods that affected eight villages, and that the government had declared the flooded area an emergency disaster zone. KPL said the disaster "claimed several human lives" and "left hundreds of people missing," without providing details. Photos and videos posted on social media showed people sitting on rooftops to escape the surging water, while others were carried to safety or rescued by boat. State media said helicopters were also being used to rescue people. The dam was built by a joint venture led by South Korean companies with Thai and Lao partners, and was still under construction. KPL described the portion that reportedly collapsed as a "saddle dam," which is an auxiliary dam used to hold water beyond what is held by the main dam. South Korea's Yonhap News agency quoted an unidentified official at SK Engineering and Construction, one of the two South Korean partners in the project, as saying rain in the area was triple the usual amount, and one of five auxiliary dams had overflowed. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 There are consequences to living below millions of tons of water. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2018-07-25 19:26 |