Military Region 5 asks units to join rescue efforts in Laos
Shortly after receiving information about the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Laos, the High Command of Military Region 5 of Vietnam asked its South Laos Friendship Co. Ltd. to send 10 medical workers and hundreds of personnel to join rescue and relief efforts.
The High Command of Military Region 5 of Vietnam joins rescue and relief efforts in the dam collapse incident in Laos. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Shortly after receiving information about the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Laos, the High Command ofMilitary Region 5 of Vietnam asked its South Laos Friendship Co. Ltd. to send10 medical workers and hundreds of personnel to join rescue and relief efforts.
Thecompany disbursed 200 million VND to purchase essential goods for localresidents affected by the incident, while K53 team under the Military Commandof the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, which was on duty in Laos, wasrequested to coordinate with Lao forces to search for missing people and helpaffected residents to overcome the aftermath.
KonTum province’s Military Command was also required to prepare personnel,vehicles and materials to coordinate with relevant forces of Laos insurmounting the consequences of the floods when it is ordered by the HighCommand.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam burst at 20:00 on July23, causing flash floods in 10 low-lying villages and completely isolatedSanamxay district. Five of Sanamxay district’s villages – namely May, Hinlath,NhaytheSanong Tay, Thasengchan, and Thahin – were entirely submerged.
LaoPrime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told media on July 25 night after inspectingthe disaster-hit sites that initial figures showed 131 people were missing.
The Attapeu Provincial Administration Office had previously confirmedthe death toll from the incident amounted to 19.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant was being constructedby the XePian-XeNamnoy Power Company (PNPC).
PNPC is a joint venture between Republic of Korea’s SKE&C and Korea Western Power, Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity GeneratingHolding, and Laos’ Holding Sate Enterprise.
The project, estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, is the firstbuild-operate-transfer (BOT) model to be undertaken by Korean companies inLaos.
On July 24, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding issueda press release announcing that unexpected heavy rains caused the dam tocollapse.
High volumes of rainwater fractured the dam and caused adeluge in the downstream area of Xe-Pian River, it said.
Attapeu authorities had previously urged the Party,government, organisations, businesses, officials, police and military forces,and the public to provide emergency aid for the victims of the disaster, suchas clothing, food items, drinking water, medicine, cash, and other relief items.-VNA
The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C), one of the builders of the Xepian Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam of Laos, said on July 24 that it has formed a crisis management team to respond to the dam collapse.
Vietnam’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC has hired a helicopter to bring its 26 workers out of the flooded area after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu.
The Lao government on July 24 declared Sanamxay district in Attapeu province an emergency disaster zone after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam flooded the district.
Tran Thanh Man, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, on July 25 sent a message of sympathy to President of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee Xaysomphone Phomvihane over the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu on July 23.
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The High Command of Military Region 5 of Vietnam joins rescue and relief efforts in the dam collapse incident in Laos. (Photo: VNA) 
