Iran Sympathizes with Laos after Dam Collapse
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry expressed sympathy with Laos over deaths in recent flooding and devastation caused by the collapse of a dam.
In a statement on Saturday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi offered his condolences to the Laotian government and nation and the families of victims of the tragic incident.
Last week, the Xepian Xe Nam Noy Dam in Laos collapsed, swallowing the villages and towns downstream in more than 5 billion cubic meters of water.
Roads have been destroyed, houses eradicated and lives lost as the enormous wave of water swept over the southern Laotian province of Attapeu.
The death toll has stood at 26, with more than 130 others still unaccounted for. Of the survivors, another 6,000 have lost their homes.
The Minister of Energy and Mines of Laos has linked the collapse of the dam to "substandard construction."
