MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said the Philippine government is ready to assist its ASEAN neighbor, Laos, in the wake of a dam collapse that displaced as many as 6,000 people and left more than a dozen dead and hundred others missing.
So far, only 10 of the 28 Filipinos registered with the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane are still in the area but are all safe and have not been affected by the flooding, the DFA reported.
“Our thoughts are with the government and people of Laos as they cope with this tragedy,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.
“We hope and pray for the safe recovery of the many who were reported missing,” he said, adding that Manila is ready to assist in whatever way it can if requested.
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam was reported to have collapsed on Monday evening as a result of heavy monsoon rains, sending millions of tons of water rampaging down at least six villages in Attapeu province.
Attapeu is located approximately 584 kilometers southeast of the capital. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
