Death toll reaches 36 in Laos dam collapse, 98 missing
Vientiane, Aug 13: 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 Sanam Xay 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 Namnoy 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 Sanam Xay district.
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Kerala: NIT student ends life on campus
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A student of National Institute of Technology allegedly ended his life by jumping from a building inside the campus in this north Kerala district on Monday.
Kunnamangalam police said the deceased was identified as Yogeswar Nath, who was from outside Kerala.
"Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. He was found dead after jumping from the building. It is suspected that he took the extreme step at around 5.30 am," a police official said.
Further details can be disclosed only after a detailed investigation, the official added.
