Flood in the Lao province of Attapeu caused by the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam (Photo: VNA)Vientiane (VNA) – Hoang Anh Giai Lai Joint Stock Company ofVietnam is planning to hire helicopters to bring its 26 workers out of the floodedarea on July 25 morning at the earliest after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe NamNoy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu a day earlier.
The workers have been isolated in Paksong district in Champasak provincewhich borders Attapeu to the east. They have been short of food and cleanwater.
The Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy Power Company (PNPC), which is building the dam,said it is cooperating with the Lao Government to carry out rescue and reliefefforts for local residents.
The Xe Pian-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 inlower areas 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 South Korean companiesin Laos.
The feasibility study for the hydroelectric project was completed inNovember 2008. Construction of the project began in February 2013 and commercialoperations are expected to begin in 2018.-VNA
VNA
