Sixteen people are now confirmed dead after the collapse of a small dam in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, thought to be caused by heavy rains.
The final missing body has now been found, and Xinhua News Agency reports that as well as the fatalities 23 people are injured but in a stable condition in hospital. The incident, which occured last Thursday, has affected aproximately 150 in the Xiaocaoba township of Yiliang County.
According to Guo Youquan, an official with the county government, 19 houses and 40ha of cropland in three villages were damaged after the collapse. The dam’s reservoir has a storage capacity of 80,000m3.
The county government has provided flood relief materials and a fund of about US$49,300 as a 500-strong rescue team continues to aid affected families. Compensation of aproximately US$480 would be given to each of the dead’s family, and anywhere between US$1200 to US$2400 to the nine families who lost their homes in the flood, said Guo.