Authorities in Laos say construction of housing for victims of the 2018 Attapeu Dam Collapse Disaster is now 99 percent complete, four years after the tragic event.
When the saddle dam of the Xe Pian-Xenam Noy hydropower project collapsed following heavy rains in July 2018, villagers’ homes were swept away in catastrophic floods, killing 40 people and displacing thousands.
A project to build 700 homes for flood victims, valued at USD 24.5 million, began in June 2020, with funding from the dam developer.
But various delays and setbacks have meant that victims have had to wait over four years for their housing, despite funds being provided to the government by the dam operator following the disaster.
Deputy Governor of Attapeu Province, Mr. Bounseut Setthilath, said in a recent provincial meeting that only 12 of the 700 houses built for flood victims remain incomplete.
Authorities say that the housing project should be finally completed by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the collapsed saddle dam at the Xe Pian Xenam Noy hydropower project has since been rebuilt and reinforced with concrete.
A new law on dam safety was approved by the Lao National Assembly in July. It sets forth specific guidelines and measures to govern the construction and operation of hydropower projects in Laos.
