THOUSANDS OF people have been displaced from
their homes and an unknown number killed in Laos’ southern Attapeu
province following the collapse of part of a hydroelectric dam under
construction following heavy rains.
The disaster came hours after an official
of the construction firm warned of imminent danger.One of five saddle
dams supporting the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy Dam collapsed at 8pm on Monday,
releasing 5 billion cubic metres of water. The news of the tragedy only
reached Bangkok yesterday morning.
Houses in Attapeu’s southern Sanamxay district were swept away, claiming
lives, and several hundred people were missing, according to the
state-run Lao News Agency.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith suspended his monthly cabinet meeting
and led senior government officials to Sanamxay to monitor rescue and
relief efforts.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith suspended his monthly cabinet meeting
and led senior government officials to Sanamxay to monitor rescue and
relief efforts.
The collapse of the support dam caused flash flooding in six Sanamxay
villages – Yai Thae, Hinlad, Mai, Thasengchan, Tha Hin and Samong.
Hinlad and Mai were particularly hard hit.
Pictures and videos shown on state-run and social media showed the
chaotic evacuation of people from inundated areas. Many people were seen
clinging to the roofs of their houses, surrounded by water.
There were claims on social media of many people dead and missing, but
no official report from local authorities as of press time.
Authorities in Attapeu pleaded for agencies to provide emergency aid for
the victims, including clothing, food, drinking water and medicine.
Attapeu Planning and Investment Department Director Soulichanh Phonkeo
told the Vientiane Times newspaper that some victims were washed away in
the torrent, but many managed to grab tree branches and wait for
rescue.
“We need a large number of boats to rescue them from the danger area,” he said.
An official of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Co (PNPC) had on Monday issued a
warning of danger at the dam. In a letter, the company’s head of
resettlement, Lee Kan Yeol, told colleagues in Champasak and Attapeu
provinces that, “Saddle Dam D is not safe and is in very dangerous
condition” due to heavy rainfall.
He advised that the saddle dam’s failure would unleash five billion
tonnes of water into the Xe Pian River basin. Lee said people living
along the river downstream should be moved to higher ground to avoid an
“unfortunate accident” if the heavy rain caused one.
The 410-megawatt Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Dam is expected to generate 1,860
gigawatt-hours of power when completed. The project is budgeted for
US$1.2 (Bt40 billion).
PNPC is a joint venture formed in March 2012 by SK Engineering and
Construction (which has a 24-per-cent stake), Lao Holding State
Enterprise (26 per cent) and Korea Western Power and Thailand’s
Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding (RATCH), which together hold
the balance of shares.
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RATCH director Kijja Sripatthangkura said Saddle Dam D was one of five
sections surrounding the main dam and its collapse would not affect
power production from the project.
But he noted that 600 million cubic metres of water had flooded seven
villages and affected more than 6,000 people in 1,700 households. His
company was coordinating with officials at the site about repairing the
damage, he said, but the work could not begin until more water can be
released from the main dam.
Pianporn Deetes of the conservation group International Rivers said
there were major risks with dams that are not designed to cope with
extreme weather conditions such as very heavy rain. And unpredictable
extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in the region due to
climate change, she said.
“This disaster also shows the inadequacy of warning systems for the dam
construction and operations,” said Pianporn, who has long monitored dams
in the Mekong River basin.
“The warning appears to have to come very late and was ineffective in
giving people advance notice to ensure their families’ safety.”
Source - TheNation
