The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam collapsed at 20:00 on July 23, releasing 5 billion cu.m of water which caused flash flooding in 10 villages in lower areas and completely isolated Sanamxay district. (Source: KPL)Hanoi (VNA) – Top leaders of Vietnam have expressed sympathywith their Lao counterparts over the great losses in humans and property causedby the collapse of Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province ofAttapeu on July 23.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central CommitteeNguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang on July 24 sent messages ofsympathy to General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committeeand President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachit.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a message of sympathy to his Laocounterpart Thongloun Sisoulith, while Deputy Prime Minister cum ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh also sent a similar message to Lao Foreign MinisterSaleumxay Kommasith.
The same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a phone call to PM Thongloun Sisoulith,affirming that the Party, State and people of Vietnam are willing to assist theLao people to overcome the aftermath of the incident.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Vietnamese representativesagencies in Laos to follow the situation and coordinate closely with localrelevant agencies to update information about Vietnamese citizens and overseasVietnamese in the affected area and stand ready to take measures to help thosein need.
In case of emergency, it is recommended to contact the hotline forcitizen protection in Laos 008562096106775 or in Vietnam 0084981848484.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam collapsed at 20:00 on July 23, releasing5 billion cu.m of water which caused flash flooding in 10 villages in lowerareas and completely isolated Sanamxay district. Five out of Sanamxaydistrict’s villages, namely May, Hinlath, Nhaythe Sanong Tay, Thasengchan andThahin, have been absolutely submerged.
The disaster, which was supposed to be triggered by downpours in recentdays, has left more than 100 people missing and over 1,300 families with 6,600people homeless. Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 28 people and arecontinuing to look for the missing.
Rescue and relief efforts are facing a range of challenges due todifficult traffic conditions. The central committee for rescue and relief isworking with Sekong and Attapeu provinces and Division 5 of the Lao army todeploy the rescue and relief campaign for victims.
Attapeu province’s authorities had previously urged the Party,government organizations, business community, officials, police and militaryforces and people of all strata to provide emergency aid for the victims of thedisaster, such as clothing, food items, drinking water, medicines, cash andother relief items.
The 410 MW Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydroelectric power project is located inthe southern region of Laos and is estimated to have an annual energygeneration of approximately 1,860 GWh, according to www.power-technology.com.
PNPC is a joint-venture formed in March 2012 by SK Engineering andConstruction (SK E&C), Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), Ratchaburi ElectricityGenerating Holding (RATCH), and Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE). SK E&Cholds a 24 percent stake in PNPC, LHSE 26 percent, and RATCH and KOWEPO equallyown the remaining share in the project.
The project, which is estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, is the firstbuild-operate-transfer (BOT) project to be undertaken by Korean companies inLaos.
The feasibility study for the hydroelectric project was completed inNovember 2008. Construction of the project began in February 2013 andcommercial operations are expected to begin in 2018.-VNA
VNA
