VIENTIANE, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The extent of the losses and damage caused by flooding in Sanamxay district of southern Laos' Attapeu province, is clearly vast, although a final assessment has not yet been made, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Friday.
The flash flood, which was caused by the collapse of an auxiliary dam at the under-construction Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower plant, destroyed six villages on July 23.
The disaster, the biggest to have occurred in Laos in decades, affected many more villages shortly afterwards as the torrent of water cascaded down the Xe Pian River.
Initial surveys suggested that all the farmland in the six villages, a total of 1,998 hectares, has been completely destroyed, said the report, adding that more than 12,000 animals were lost as well as more than 19,000 chickens and other fowl, while 280 fishponds were damaged.
The flood affected farmland in 19 villages, but no detailed survey has been carried out as yet, said the report.
The losses and damage in relation to houses, offices, vehicles, infrastructure, communication networks and other property have also not been assessed.
"The priorities at the moment are to search for and rescue the remaining missing people, and the relief, assistance and rehabilitation of the people affected," provincial Deputy Governor Ounlar Xayasith told Vientiane Times.
As of Wednesday, 13 people were confirmed dead while 118 people are still missing. More than 6,000 people have been left homeless and are sheltering at schools and temporary camps.
Authorities in charge plan to carry out a comprehensive survey to collect information concerning the losses and damage caused by the disaster, said the report.
Video clips and photos showed that houses, buildings, infrastructure, communication networks and other facilities had been severely damaged by the flood, especially in the six most affected villages, with the area now a sea of mud.
Sonexay Siphandone, deputy prime minister and chairman of the National Ad Hoc Committee in charge of dealing with the aftermath of the disaster, told officials to collect information on the damage and losses incurred.
He said villagers who had lost their homes and other property should be given special compensation given that the disaster was caused by a fracture in the dam wall.
In the longer term, the relevant departments are told to draw up plans to rehabilitate and reconstruct communities to enable displaced villagers to return to their normal lives.
On July 23, a saddle dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, invested by South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, burst, unleashing 5 billion cubic meters of water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River, some 560 km southeast of Vientiane.
Six villages were almost submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected.
