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Jul 25, 2018 / 17:54

No Vietnamese injured in dam break in Laos: Diplomat

Vietnamese people living in Laos are safe and sound in the tragic dam collapse in Laos.

Hundreds of people have been missing following a catastrophic dam collapse in Laos, but no Vietnamese victims have been found until now, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos.
An under-construction dam in south-east Laos collapsed late on Monday (July 23), causing flash floods through six villages. More than 6,600 people have been made homeless, Lao News Agency reported.
 
The surge of water submerged homes and forced villagers to seek safety on this roof. Photo: Reuters
The surge of water submerged homes and forced villagers to seek safety on this roof. Photo: Reuters
Confirmation found that there were 15 Vietnamese households living in the area affected by the collapses, Nguyen Duy Quan, counselor, head of Consular Department under Vietnamese Embassy in Laos told Hanoitimes. However, no Vietnamese citizens got wounded and they have moved to safe places now, Quan noted.
The Vietnamese Consulate in Pakse has got updates about the collapse and reported the outcome to Vietnam’s Embassy in Laos, according to Quan. 
Ealier, concerns were raised over some workers of Vietnam's conglomerate Hoang Anh Gia Lai working in the wood factory nearby the dam. However, at about 10 a.m (local time) on July 25, helicopters were sent to the site to rescue the firm's workers trapped in the flood.
The dam that collapsed is part of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, which involves Laotian, Thai and South Korean firms. Laos sits on the Mekong River and its tributaries - a perfect location for hydroelectric power. The country had 46 operational hydroelectric power plants in 2017, and 54 more under construction
By 2020, Laos also plans to build 54 more electricity transmission lines and 16 substations.