Laos dam collapse: Owners warned of dam failure YESTERDAY, shock letter reveals
THE Laos dam collapse, which has left hundreds missing and many feared dead, took place on the same day the company behind its construction warned workers and residents it was “dangerous” and “unsafe”.
Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Power Company (PNPC), which owns the under-construction hydropower dam, reportedly sent out a letter saying it was in a “very dangerous condition” due to heavy rainfall.
Villagers were also urged to evacuate to higher land to avoid “the unfortunate accident” caused by monsoon rain.
In the letter Lee Kan Yeol, the company’s head of resettlement, told his colleagues in Champasak and Attapeu provinces that “the saddle dam D was not safe,” according to Thailand newspaper The Nation.
The letter read: “If the section fails, over five thousand million tonnes of water would flow out and down the Xe Pian river.”
It is unclear if whether the ensuing floodwater was deliberately released or caused by the wall's collapse, according to ABC local.
Last year, another dam burst in the Xaysomboun province north of the capital Vientiane, which flooded surrounding villages.
Hundreds of people are missing and several are feared dead following the collapse, which caused flash flooding and homes to be swept away.
If the section fails, over five thousand million tonnes of water would flow out and down the Xe Pian river
Officials have brought boats to help evacuate people in San Sai as water levels continue to rise.
The company building the dam said heavy rain and flooding caused the collapse and it was cooperating with the Laos to help rescue villagers near the dam
A SK Engineering & Construction spokesman said: ”We are running an emergency team and planning to help evacuate and rescue residents in villages near the dam.”
Laos News Agency said “several human lives” were lost following the collapse, adding “several hundreds of people are missing”.
Laos dam collapse: People flee after extreme floods
The dam collapsed at 8pm (local time) on Monday releasing the the equivalent of two million Olympic swimming pools of water into the area
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 river bank.
Communist Laos, one of Asia's poorest and most secretive countries, aims to become the "battery of Asia" by selling power to its neighbours through a series of hydropower dams.
Express.co.uk has contacted Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Power Company for comment.