Southern Laos was badly hit by floods between 16h and 19 September, 2013, after heavy rainfall that lasted several days.
The rainfall was the result of a tropical depression in the region. The areas affected were Saravane, Sekong, Attapeu and Champasak – the 4 southernmost provinces in Laos.
Overall the worst affected area was Soukkhouma District in Champasak Province, where 1 person is reported as missing in the floods, and a further 14 injured. The floods affected more than 2,000 families in 38 villages across Soukkhouma District. As many as 227 families in 21 different villages in Saravane Province were also badly affected by the flooding.
Houses, roads, crops and livestock have all be badly hit across the 4 provinces. In Champassak province alone over 5,000 hectares of rice fields were submerged. Initial assessments say that around 7,000 hectares of agricultural production across the 4 provinces has been damaged.
Medical and emergency response teams were sent to the affected areas.
Laos has suffered severe flooding since July and continually throughout this year’s monsoon, as we reported here.
Sources: Laos News Agency
