On the night of July 23, water poured over a saddle dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy (PNPC) hydropower project in Champassak, Laos, sweeping away homes and causing severe flooding in up to 12 villages downstream in Champassak and neighboring Attapeu province.
More than 40 villagers were killed and dozens were listed as missing, in what has been described as Laos’ worst flooding in decades.
The collapse of saddle dam D (one of 5 such structures at the dam complex) was not sudden. The government had been made aware that the dam was cracked earlier in the day.
Critics are now questioning if the authorities and PNPC had adequately prepared for the impending disaster prior to the dam bursting.
RFA’s Lao Service has procured a never-before-published first-hand record of communications between relevant officials in Attapeu and PNPC on the day of the disaster.
The report appears to show that the government was ill-equipped to handle the emergency, with notices going up and down the chain of command, redundant communications between PNPC and local and provincial government agencies, and general confusion about when to start evacuations.
For the full story visit here: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/pnpcdamexclusivereport-10312018135319.html
Post A Comment:
0 comments so far,add yours