Dangerous dams: Laos and the curse of hydroelectric gold

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By: Cyril PAYEN 1 min

Laos rarely makes headlines. But on July 23, 2018, the small Southeast Asian country made front pages around the world when a hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River collapsed, engulfing several villages and causing catastrophic flash flooding. Many people were killed – between 36 and several hundred, depending on sources – and many more are still missing. Our reporter investigates a tragedy foretold.