Hundreds of people are missing and an unspecified number are believed to be dead after the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydroelectric dam in southeast Laos, state media reported on Tuesday. The accident happened at a dam in southeastern Attapeu province late on Monday, releasing 5 billion cubic meters of water with "several human lives claimed, and several hundreds of people missing," the Laos News Agency said. More than 6,600 people have been left homeless after their homes in the southern part of the district were swept away, the report said, and officials in the province have put out a call for relief aid for flood victims. Journalist Frederic Spohr, speaking with DW from Laos, called the event, "a major catastrophe for Laos and for the region." Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith suspended meetings and led a delegation of cabinet members to the region to monitor events, the official Laos news agency KPL said. ABC Laos reported that officials had brought boats to help evacuate people in San Sai district of Attapeu province, where the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam is located. 24-hour race to fix damage before collapse The $1.2-billion (€1.02-billion) dam is part of a project by Vientiane-based Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company, or PNPC, a joint venture formed in 2012. The Laos News Agency said the companies involved include Thailand's Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, South Korea's Korea Western Power and the state-run Lao Holding State Enterprise. A South Korean builder also involved in the project, SK Engineering & Construction, said Wednesday that it had discovered Sunday evening that the upper part of the dam had been washed away. The discovery took place some 24 hours before the structure finally collapsed. "We immediately alerted the authorities and began evacuating (nearby) villagers downstream," it said in a statement. Rain hampered repair work attempting to fix the damage. Shares in SK's major shareholders fell sharply after the dam collapse. The 410 megawatt capacity dam was due to start commercial operations by 2019, according to the project website. It planned to export 90 percent of electricity generated to neighboring Thailand, with the remaining amount to be offered up on the local grid. Watch video 03:05 Dam collapses in Laos: Journalist Frederic Spohr The 'battery of Asia' The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam is part of Laos' massive plan to create a network of hydroelectric power plants. "Laos is not a manufacturing hub, it doesn't have skilled labor but what it has are hills and a lot of water. So the strategy was to kind of make Laos the battery of Asia," Spohr told DW. For years, critics such as the US-based International Rivers have warned of the negative impact such plans could have on the flora and fauna of the Mekong River as well as the villages of local residents who depend on them for their livlihood. Furthermore, they fear such plants will be unable to withstand increasingly extreme weather conditions like the series of five massive monsoons that battered the country in 2013, affecting some 347,000 Laotians. Rivers International also pointed to the failings of Laos' warning system in this most recent event, saying: "This also shows the inadequacy of the warning systems for the dam construction and operations. The warning appeared to come very late and was ineffective in ensuring people had advance notice to ensure their safety and that of their families." js,law/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters) Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>Hundreds of people are missing after a hydroelectric dam collapsed in southern Laos, destroying thousands of homes and leaving an unknown number of dead. Five billion cubic metres of water – the equivalent of 2m Olympic swimming pools – swept through the surrounding countryside after the accident at the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam, which is still under construction in south-eastern Attapeu province. The dam collapsed at 8pm local time (1300 BST) on Monday, a state news agency reported. The neighbouring villages of Yai Thae, Hinlad, Mai, Thasengchan, Tha Hin and Samong bore the brunt of flooding, which has reportedly destroyed thousands of homes. Officials brought in boats to try to evacuate victims in San Sai district who were left stranded by the water. Aerial footage showed the whole region under muddy water, with only roofs and treetops visible. Several people have been confirmed dead, and more than 6,600 are homeless, official news agency KPL reported. The company building the dam said heavy rain and flooding caused it to collapse and it was cooperating with the Laos government to help rescue villagers. “We are running an emergency team and planning to help evacuate and rescue residents,” a spokesman for SK Engineering & Construction told Reuters. The dam is a key component of the country’s controversial ambition to become the “battery of Asia” by selling power to its neighbours. Eleven large hydropower dams on the main Mekong River, and 120 tributary dams, are planned over the next 20 years. The 410MW project was designed to generate electricity by diverting the waters of the Houay Makchanh, Xe-Namnoy and Xe-Pian rivers on the Bolaven Plateau in the Laos province of Champasak, and then letting them flow back into the Xe-Pian River, and eventually into the Mekong. The plan is to export 90% of the energy produced to neighbouring Thailand, making it a lucrative source of income. Laos, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country, has secured billions in foreign funds from hydropower investors. 00:42 Baby rescued after Laos dam collapse - video But the country’s focus on the energy source has provoked a backlash from environmental activists, NGOs and scientists for its impact on the Mekong, one of the world’s longest, largest and resource-rich rivers. A report from the inter-governmental Mekong River Commission in April estimated its fish stocks would fall by up to 40% as a result of the hydropower projects. A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute also pointed out that “changes in rainfall and extreme weather could pose a risk to Laos’ hydropower-dominated electricity system”. Last year, a dam broke along Laos’ Nam Ao River, unleashing a torrent of water that flooded seven villages and ruined acres of farmland. But concerns over hydropower dams have been dismissed by the government. The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam, which is estimated to be worth about $1bn (£760m), is a joint venture between several South Korean and Laos companies. Construction began in 2013 and was due for completion by the end of this year, with plans to start operations in 2019. Villagers stranded on the roof of a house. Photograph: ABC/EPA The prime minister, Thongloun Sisoulith, called on government organisations, the police and the military to assist in the emergency relief effort. The International Rivers group, which has campaigned about the risks of developing the Mekong, said the accident showed that some dam designs were unable to cope with extreme weather conditions. “Unpredictable and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in Laos and the region due to climate change,” said a spokesperson for International Rivers. “This also shows the inadequacy of warning systems for the dam construction and operations. The warning appeared to come very late and was ineffective in ensuring people had advance notice to ensure their safety and that of their families,” it said. Reuters contributed to this report<doc-sep>At a Glance The collapse of a hydroelectric dam has left at least two dozen dead and more than 100 missing in southeastern Laos. Over 6,000 have been left homeless when the failure released large amounts of water, sweeping away houses. After a dam collapse in southeastern Laos killed at least 27 and left 131 others missing earlier this week, officials in the country ordered closer monitoring of hydroelectric facilities as an investigation continues. Floodwaters, covering some homes up to their rooftops, slowly receded Thursday and evacuees slowly returned to their mud-covered villages. The dam broke late Monday, sending more than 6 feet of flooding into the villages. It forced families, like Kongvilay and Thongla Inthavong, to flee before the floods displaced their homes. "I'm worried the same accident might happen again," Thongla said as she and her husband scraped mud off their belongings. "But we can't live anywhere else. We've been here our entire lives." (MORE: Dozens Die in Aggressive Greece Wildfires) In a report Thursday, the state-run Vientiane Times said the Ministry of Energy and Mines had ordered closer monitoring of water levels in reservoirs and of conditions at dam sites. It said the thousands of people stranded on rooftops and in trees had been rescued by Wednesday. Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith described the disaster as the worst in years in the impoverished country, with more than 6,000 people displaced after the auxiliary dam of a joint venture hydroelectric project gave way after days of torrential rains. Thongloun said authorities were investigating whether the dam's collapse was caused by the heavy rainfall or by inadequate construction standards. The South Korean company responsible for building the dam, SK Engineering & Construction, said it also was trying to determine why the dam failed. The Red Cross, South Korean government and other organizations were rushing water purifiers, food and other aid to shelters crowded with hundreds of displaced families evacuated from a half-flooded no-man's-land of orange mud and debris. Initially, state media reported that hundreds of people were missing and feared dead. Difficult communications and heavy rains, which have hampered rescue efforts, likely contributed to discrepancies in information about casualties. The exact circumstances of the dam's collapse remain murky, and local officials said they had formed a committee to "seek common ground on the responsibilities and obligations for the tragic disaster," the Vientiane Times reported. SK Engineering & Construction said the dam began failing Sunday, while Korea Western Power, another partner in the project, said the earth-fill dam began visibly weakening on Friday. Advertisement SK Engineering sent its president and an emergency team to help with the rescue and repair effort. In a statement Thursday, it said it would help build lodging for those displaced. "We will find out causes of the incident thoroughly and take necessary actions quickly," it said in a statement earlier this week. (MORE: Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Flooding, Mudslides Along Colorado's Front Range) The Thai partner in the dam project, the Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Co., said the joint venture had sent experts to the area to investigate the situation and discuss with the authorities how to resolve the problem. Monsoon rains clearly contributed to the disaster: A report by the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission said storms had caused water levels along the river to rise by 3-5 meters (9-15 feet) in the past week. Continued heavy rain and strong winds forecast for the area could hinder recovery efforts, and risks from flooding persisted in the mountainous region. But a flurry of dam building along the Mekong River and its tributaries, including those affected by this disaster, has raised concerns over environmental impact and other problems. The $1.02 billion project encompassing several river basins in a remote corner of southeastern Laos is the first hydroelectric dam to be built by a South Korean company, and it was unclear how severe the damage would be to the overall plan. The dam was due to begin operating in 2019, with 90 percent of the power generated going to Thailand. Laos has dozens of hydroelectric projects under construction and plans for sales of power to neighboring countries, now accounting for about a third of its exports, to grow substantially. International Rivers, a non-governmental group generally critical of such projects, said the catastrophe showed the need to improve warning systems. "With over 70 hydropower projects currently built, under construction and planned across Lao PDR — most of them owned and operated by private companies — authorities must immediately review how dams are being planned, designed and managed," the group said in a statement.<doc-sep>State media in Laos says several people are dead and hundreds missing after a dam wall collapsed in the country's south, sending millions of tonnes of water into surrounding villages. Key points: The floods have swept away homes and left more than 6,600 people homeless The floods have swept away homes and left more than 6,600 people homeless The company on Monday warned the dam was unsafe because of overflows from recent rains The company on Monday warned the dam was unsafe because of overflows from recent rains The dam project was still under construction and scheduled to begin operating this year The Xe-Namnoy dam in Attapeu province, 550 kilometres south of the capital Vientiane, was reportedly built to hold 1 billion tonnes of water, and is 1.6 kilometres wide. A volunteer emergency organisation, Vientiane Rescue, said the dam wall broke on Monday night after heavy monsoonal rains. Reports on one media site said millions of tonnes of water had inundated surrounding land, washing away villages and homes. Official Lao news agency KPL said more than 6,600 people were made homeless. Photos on an expat site on Facebook show nearby residents on the roofs of houses as the floodwaters threaten to submerge their homes altogether. Millions of tons of water had inundated surrounding land, washing away villages and homes. ( Facebook: LaoFAB Vientiane Rescue said it was sending a team of volunteers to respond to the disaster and help evacuate people stranded on roofs and higher ground. Only on Monday the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy company warned the dam was dangerously unsafe because of overflows from the recent rains, and said it was planning to release 5,000 million litres of water. It urged residents to evacuate low-lying areas immediately. It is unclear whether the ensuing floodwater was deliberately released or caused by the wall's collapse. Vientiane Rescue said it was too early to know how many people have died in villages downstream from the dam. Volunteers helped evacuate stranded people to higher ground. ( Facebook: LaoFAB The dam was constructed by a joint venture led by South Korean companies, with Thai and Lao partners. The project, scheduled to begin operating this year, was still under construction, KPL reported. It described the portion that collapsed as a "saddle dam," which is an auxiliary dam used to hold water beyond what is held by the main dam. In a statement, the Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company said the operating company for the "fractured" dam had helped evacuate nearby residents to temporary shelters. "Currently, Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company Limited and related agencies had evacuated the people who reside around the area to temporary shelter for safety in accordance to the emergency plan," the statement read. "In addition, urgent assessment of the situation is being made in order to be able to immediately resolve the situation once the water level of the dam has decreased." The company said the dam was approximately 90 per cent complete and scheduled to commence commercial operation in 2019. KPL also reported that Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith "suspended the planned monthly meeting of the Government for August and led his Cabinet members and other senior officials to Sanamxay [district] to monitor rescue and relief efforts being made for flood victims." The South Korean company that has a stake in the project said part of a small supply dam was washed away and the company was cooperating with the Laos Government to help rescue villagers near the site. Residents sit on the roofs of houses as the floodwaters threaten to submerge their homes altogether. ( Facebook: LaoFAB "We are running an emergency team and planning to help evacuate and rescue residents in villages near the dam," an SK Engineering & Construction spokesman said by telephone. The $1 billion project was to build two dams with five auxiliary dams used to hold water beyond what is held by the main dams. Another official of SK Engineering & Construction said the company ordered the evacuation of 12 villages as soon as it became clear that the dam could collapse. Last year, another dam burst in the Xaysomboun province north of the capital Vientiane, which flooded surrounding villages. A villager and dogs take refuge on a rooftop above flood waters. ( Attapeu Today For the thousands of people left homeless, it will be a struggle to find shelter from the ongoing monsoonal rains. Dams are a crucial part of the Laotian economy, with much of the electricity exported to neighbouring countries. The landlocked communist country has been criticised for its aggressive dam building — a national strategy to become the battery of South-East Asia. The environmental costs are often discussed, and now locals are paying the price for providing other people's electricity. ABC/wires<doc-sep>
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hundreds of people in southern Laos are missing and many are feared dead a day after a hydropower dam under construction broke, killing several as it swept away homes in flash flooding, state media reported on Tuesday. More than 6,600 people are homeless, the Lao News Agency reported. It showed pictures of villagers wading through muddy floodwater carrying belongings. Others boarded rickety wooden boats or stood on the roofs of partially submerged houses. Officials have brought boats to evacuate people in San Sai district of Attapeu province, where the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam is located, as water levels rise after the collapse, ABC Laos news reported. “The disaster has claimed several lives, left hundreds of people missing and more than 1,300 families (6,600 people) homeless,” it reported. The South Korean company that has a stake in the project said part of a small supply dam was washed away and the company was cooperating with the Laos government to help rescue villagers near the site. “We are running an emergency team and planning to help evacuate and rescue residents in villages near the dam,” a SK Engineering & Construction spokesman told Reuters by telephone. The $1 billion project was to build two dams with five auxiliary dams used to hold water beyond what is held by the main dams. Another official of SK Engineering & Construction said the company ordered the evacuation of 12 villages as soon as it became clear that the dam could collapse. Later, the company said in a statement the upper part of the supply dam was lost by torrential rains on July 22 but its repair work did not go smoothly due to the rains and more portions of the dam were fractured and overflowed in the following day. Slideshow ( 5 images ) The South Korean foreign ministry said in a text message to reporters that 50 workers of the company and three from Korea Western Power Co. who were stationed at the construction site had been evacuated. The dam collapsed at 8:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Monday, releasing 5 billion cubic meters of water and several hundred people are missing after homes were swept away, the Lao News Agency said. It said several people had died. A video posted by the ABC Laos news on its Facebook page showed villagers stopping to watch fast-flowing water from the side of a riverbank. Another showed a distraught women getting into a wooden boat with her baby, saying that she had to wait to be rescued after the floodwater came and her mother was still trapped in a tree. The prime minister of the Communist-run Southeast Asian nation, Thongloun Sisoulith, has suspended government meetings and led Cabinet members to monitor rescue and relief efforts in one of the affected areas, the state agency reported. “BATTERY OF ASIA” One of Asia’s poorest and most secretive countries, Laos is landlocked, but aims to become the “battery of Asia” by selling power to neighbors through a series of hydropower dams. Lao experienced one of its worst natural disasters in 2013 when five major monsoon storms hit in a period of three months, according to the ReliefWeb humanitarian information portal. It said that approximately 347,000 people were affected by severe flooding in that disaster. Slideshow ( 5 images ) Environmental rights groups have for years raised concerns about Laos’ hydropower ambitions, including worries over the impact of dams on the Mekong River, its flora and fauna and the rural communities and local economies that depend on it. The collapsed dam was expected to start commercial operations by 2019 and export 90 percent of its power to Thailand under a Power Purchase Agreement between the Xe-Pian-Xe Namnoy Power Company (PNPC) and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The remaining 10 percent of power would be sold to the local grid under an agreement between the PNPC and the Electricite du Laos. PNPC was established in 2012 by SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (SK E&C), Korea Western Power Co. Ltd. (KOWEPO), Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Pcl RATCH.BK, Thailand's largest private power producer, and Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE). Ratchburi Electricity Generating Holding Company said in a statement the dam, which it referred to as ‘Saddle Dam D’, was eight meters (26 feet) wide, 770 meters (2,526 feet) long and 16 meters (52 feet) high.