Several people have been killed, hundreds remain missing and around 6,600 are homeless after the collapse of a hydroelectric dam under construction in Laos, according to authorities cited by the official Lao News Agency on Tuesday.

The authorities did not specify the exact number of fatalities. </s> The death toll in the flooding caused by a dam collapse in Laos has climbed to 36 while 98 are still missing, national daily Vientiane Times reported on Monday.

On Saturday, we found the body of a three-year-old girl, bringing the number of known fatalities to 36, including three injured people who died in hospital, Deputy Director General of the General Political Department, Lao People's Army, Phalom Linthong said.

Laos army teams and rescue teams from Singapore are scouring the area for those still missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The operation is not easy because many areas remain flooded after a week of rain and we are constantly encountering challenges caused by thick mud, sand, and buried objects," Linthong said.

Rescue teams from Thailand, China, the Republic of Korea, and Laos arrived on the scene, when the flood hit on July 23, to aid in the search, rescue and relief operation, the daily noted.

Camps are being set up to accommodate the homeless after lower parts of Sanamxay district was flooded following several days of rain.

The rebuilding of roads and bridges in the disaster-hit areas is being accelerated to enable relief supplies transportation.

An under-construction saddle dam of the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower project, invested by South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, collapsed on July 23, unleashing a large amount of water and hitting some 13 villages of Sanamxay district.

--IANS

mag/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) </s> Hundreds die, dozens more missing after hydro dam collapses in southern Laos </s> Laos state news agency says several dead, hundreds missing after collapse of hydroelectric dam in southeast

BANGKOK (AP) — Laos state news agency says several dead, hundreds missing after collapse of hydroelectric dam in southeast. </s> A hydroelectric dam in southeastern Laos has collapsed, according to an Associated Press report citing state media.Several people are confirmed dead, and hundreds are missing.The official Lao news agency KPL reported on Tuesday that the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Attapeu province collapsed Monday evening, sweeping away homes and leaving more than 6,000 homeless. </s> Hundreds of people are feared dead after five billion cubic metres of water was sent crashing into six villages in Laos.

The hydropower dam in San Sai in the south-east of the country collapse leading to severe flash flooding.

The shocking footage shows a number of homes submerged in flood waters with residents forced to sit on the roofs for safety.

Some residents appear to be trapped in woodlands as the flooding completely covers the village. </s> Several people were dead and hundreds were missing Tuesday after a hydroelectric dam collapsed in southeastern Laos, state media reported.

The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Attapeu province collapsed, releasing five billion cubic meters of water in the San Sai district, according to Sky News. The water swept away several hopes, the official news agency KPL reported. More than 6,600 people were left homeless.

Video posted on the ABC Laos news Facebook page showed villages watching the water from the side of a river bank.

It’s unclear how many people died in the dam collapse.

The dam was constructed by a joint venture led by South Korean companies, with Thai and Lao partners. The structure was scheduled to open in 2019, according to Sky News. Its plan was to export 90 percent of the electricity generated to Thailand, while the rest was set to power the local grid.

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 to monitor rescue and relief efforts being made for flood victims,” according to state media.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> BANGKOK – State media say a hydroelectric dam has collapsed in southeastern Laos, leaving several people confirmed dead and hundreds missing.

The official Lao news agency KPL reported Tuesday that the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Attapeu province collapsed Monday evening, releasing large amounts of water and sweeping away houses, leaving more than more than 6,600 people homeless.

The dam was constructed by a joint venture led by South Korean companies, with Thai and Lao partners. It was scheduled to open this year, but it was unclear if it had begun operating. </s> BANGKOK, July 24 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people are missing and several are feared dead after a hydropower dam under construction in Laos collapsed causing flash flooding which swept away homes, local media reported on Tuesday.

Officials have brought boats to help 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 dam collapsed, ABC Laos news reported.

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.
The death toll from a dam collapse in Laos on 23 July rises to 36, while 98 people are still missing.