SEOUL, July 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered an immediate dispatch of emergency relief team to Laos, where hundreds went missing and thousands were displaced with the collapse of a dam built by a South Korean consortium.
Moon ordered officials to draw up the government's strong support measures including the dispatch of emergency relief team to Laos, presidential spokesman Kim Eui-keum told a press briefing.
The South Korean president said though the cause of the accident was yet to be identified, the South Korean government should immediately and actively participate in the relief activities given that South Korean firms were involved in the construction of the dam.
The auxiliary dam in Laos, built by a South Korean consortium led by SK Engineering & Construction, collapsed on Monday, leaving hundreds missing and thousands of others displaced.
Dispute arose over the cause of the incident as some said the dam collapsed because of heavy rains while others claimed it was the dam's collapse that led to the flood.
The South Korean government planned to dispatch a seven-member advance team to Laos Thursday while sending more rescue workers and medial staff after consulting with the Lao government.
