Laos dam collapse kills at least 19 and displaces thousands
At least 20 people are confirmed dead and more than 100 missing after the dam, in the South Eastern Attapeu province, collapsed sending floods through several villages.
Thousands of people need rescue in Laos after a hydroelectric dam collapsed, flooding local villages.
Nearby villages had been evacuated on Sunday July 22 after workers found the dam to be partially damaged. The South Korean company behind the project alerted authorities to begin moving villagers downstream, displacing an estimated 6,600 families.
Located on the border with Cambodia, the $1.2 billion dam is a joint project by Xe Pian Xe Namnoy Power Company (PNPC), consisting of a Laotian, a Thai and two South Korean companies. Commercial operations were due to start by 2019 on the 410-megawatt capacity plant.
The Mekong River and its tributaries runs through Laos, making it ideal for the generation of hydroelectric power. With 46 fully operational hydro-electric plants in 2017, and 54 more under construction, Laos has big ambitions to become a major supplier of energy in Asia.
Electricity already makes up around 30% of all Laotian exports, and with another 54 electricity transmission lines and 16 substations planned for completion by 2020, the landlocked country has become reliant on hydropower for revenues.
Environmental groups have expressed concerns that the dams will adversely affect the thousands of plant and animal species in the region, as well as rice-producing countries in the lower Mekong – Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.
In light of the recent collapse, Maureen Harris of charity International Rivers, said: “It raises extremely serious questions about dam planning and management.”
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