On Monday, a group of Da Nang’s leaders, led by municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri, visited and donated over 2.3 billion VND from the city budget to Attapeu Province in Laos for disaster relief efforts.

Deputy Secretary Tri (4th, left) presenting 2 billion VND to representatives from the Attapeu Province authorities

In particular, 2 billion VND went to the Attapeu provincial government, 200 million VND to the province’s Sanamxay District, and the remainder to families and the province-based Vietnamese Military Zone 5 unit, all affected by the recent hydropower dam collapse.

On behalf of the city leaders, Deputy Secretary Tri expressed his deep sympathy to the province’s authorities and its residents after the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam under construction in southeast Laos.

He hoped that the Attapeu authorities and local residents would overcome the consequences of the disaster as soon as possible.

In reply, Mr Let Saynhaphon, Governor of Attapeu Province, thanked the Da Nang authorities for their active support for his locality, and some southern provinces of Laos as a whole, over recent years.

He noted that his government was making every effort to help affected residents stabilise their lives, and promote the local socio-economic development.

According to Mr Tran Quoc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Attapeu Province, fortunately, no Vietnamese deaths were reported as the result of the hydropower dam collapse.

He added that 4 Vietnamese families in Sanamxay District’s May Village which were affected by the disaster become homeless. However, they received immediate assistance from the Laotian government.

Vice Chairman Tuan remarked that his association has appealed for Vietnamese expatriates in Laos to donate a total of 125 million VND in cash and material to affected families. In addition, the association gave Attapeu Province 53 million VND in aid to help it deal with the current difficulties.

Since 2002, Da Nang has given financial aid to Attapeu Province.

In particular, 5 billion VND from the city budget was spent on building 2-storey primary school in 2014, and around 6 billion VND on constructing a Vietnamese Language Centre in the province in 2018.

Between 2013 and 2017, the Da Nang government granted scholarships to Lao students who were studying at member schools of the University of Da Nang.

To date, 2 businesses from Da Nang have poured a total of around 4 million USD to invest in the Laotian province.

Deputy Secretary Tri (3rd left) donating 20 million VND to the centre representative

On the same day, the Da Nang guests visited the Vietnamese Language Centre in Savannakhet Province, Laos.

Deputy Secretary Tri wished the centre’s teachers and pupils good health, and presented 20 million VND from the city budget to the centre.

The construction of the centre has been funded by Da Nang to provide Laotian pupils, students and government staff with Vietnamese language courses.

The centre has already provided Vietnamese language courses for a total of 1,597 trainees. So far this year, a total of 245 senior high school pupils and government staff members in the Laotian province have taken part in Vietnamese language courses in this centre.