The photo provided by the Lao News Agency KPL shows people evacuating from the affected area near the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant in the San Sai district of Attapeu province in southeast Laos on July 24, 2018.(Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jul. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — A dam under construction in Laos by SK Engineering & Construction Co. gave way on July 23, causing dozens of deaths with more than 100 locals still missing, leaving local officials as well as other stakeholders to determine the cause of the collapse as well as the level of responsibility that SK Engineering must take on regarding the incident.
The exact cause of the accident will be determined after a careful investigation following the rescue efforts that are still ongoing.
According to the result of the investigation, there is a chance that SK E&C may have to bear the lion’s share of responsibility for what happened.
If the dam’s collapse resulted from torrential rain on par with a natural disaster, SK may be off the hook, but if the flood was caused by an error in the dam’s planning or construction, the construction company may be forced to offer compensation for the losses.
According to local press reports, a secondary dam which is part of the 410 MW Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project gave way on July 23, causing 5 billion cubic meters of water to be unleashed.
The rush of water caused a flash flood in nearby villages situated at the foot of the dam. Hundreds of villagers are still missing as a result of the flood, with 27 fatalities confirmed as of July 26.
After the incident, SK E&C President Ahn Jae-hyun and other company executives flew into Laos to join local authorities in carrying out rescue efforts in the affected areas.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
