Dams under probe after collapse; China offers help
Search for survivors hampered by weather, more heavy rain forecast
The government has started to investigate the collapse of a dam in southeastern Laos and committed to keeping a close eye on the safety measures of all hydroelectric dams nationwide, following the failure of a auxiliary dam at Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy power project on Monday.
Twenty-six people were confirmed dead, while Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said at a Wednesday news conference that about 131 people were still missing after the collapse, according to the Lao News Agency.
The collapse sent 5 billion cubic meters of flooding water across paddy fields and villages in the southern province of Attapeu, and has drained into neighboring country Cambodia, forcing thousands to be evacuated.
Rescuers continue to rush aid to thousands of homeless and it is reported that a visiting 32-member Chinese People's Liberation Army medical team had arrived at the scene on Wednesday to provided medical services for the affected region under the request of the Laos ministry of defense.
A Xinhua News Agency report said that Chinese companies and businesses in Laos also joined the rescue work in the flood-hit area.
"The Chinese Embassy in Laos asked all Chinese companies to conduct safety investigations immediately and to provide assistance to the disaster-stricken areas after the dam collapse," Shen Yi, a manager of Power Construction Corporation of China (Power-China) told Xinhua.
PowerChina has sent staff in project sites closest to the affected region to deliver the relief materials to the scene, Shen said, adding that rescue machinery and equipment at the sites are also on standby, ready to carry out emergency repairs to roads and bridges damaged by floodwater.
Around a dozen Chinese rescuers in helmets and life jackets joined rescuers in the affected region on Thursday near the dam site, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Not a warning level
Latest figures published by the United Nations said up to 11,777 people were affected by the dam collapse, with up to 6,000 people displaced. Aerial images showed towns swallowed by water, with residents waiting on rooftops, with only a few possessions in hand.
An international rescue effort is underway and authorities are also working to relocate those who live downstream of the areas already flooded, which could be inundated in coming days as continued heavy rain and strong winds forecast for the area could hinder recovery efforts.
A report by the Mekong River Commission said the search for survivors has been hampered by monsoon weather, as storms had caused water levels along the river to rise by 3-5 meters in the past week. But the Vientiane Times said the water level in the Mekong mainstream is not "at the warning level".
The English-language newspaper reported that Laos Ministry of Energy and Mines ordered on Wednesday that the management of all hydropower dams stay on alert and to keep a close eye on weather forecasts and manage rising levels of water in reservoirs.
In addition, hydropower projects must report on their water management to the ministry regularly so that it will be in a position to come up with a plan to respond in case of emergency, the report said.
It said a high-ranking official from the ministry told the media that the ministry had found no major incidents so far except for the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy power project.
The dam that collapsed is a joint venture involving a number of entities including two South Korean companies - SK Engineering & Construction and Korea Western Power - and Thailand's Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding.
There are 51 hydropower plants with installed electric power-generating capacity of 6,984 megawatts now in operation in Laos, according to data from the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Xinhua and AFP contributed to this story.
panmengqi@chinadaily.com.cn
Rescuers work at a flooded site after a hydropower dam collapse in Attapeu province, Laos, on Tuesday.Ime Phoumsavanh Via Reuters |
(China Daily 07/27/2018 page11)