Hydroelectric Dam in Laos collapse Killing Several People, More than 6,000 Render Homeless

Several people have been killed, hundreds remain missing and around 6,600 are homeless after a hydroelectric dam under construction collapsed in Laos, authorities said on Tuesday. Officials did not specify the exact number of fatalities. The Xepian-Xe Namnoy dam, situated around 550 km southeast of the capital, collapsed on Monday, unleashing flash floods in six villages, Lao News Agency reported. The administration of the province of Attapeu, where the dam was built, requested basic humanitarian assistance for the affected. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith postponed government meetings and went to the affected area in Sanamxay district with senior officials to monitor relief efforts, the state media said. Pictures showed villagers stranded on the roofs of submerged houses and boats carrying people to safety. “The disaster claimed several human lives (and) left hundreds of people missing,” according to the agency. (IANS)