About 20 families whose homes were affected by a deadly explosion last week in northern Laos are using their own money for immediate repairs because they don’t expect financial help from the provincial government, people with knowledge of the situation told Radio Free Asia.
The Laotians are buying materials to hastily fix their homes following the blast in Nami village in Oudomxay province’s Xay district on Feb. 14 caused by illegal explosives inside a burning Chinese-owned vehicle parts shop.
The explosion killed one Laotian and three Chinese nationals and injured nine others. Police said they are investigating the incident, which also severely damaged nearby buildings and some vehicles.
Provincial officials sent about 380 soldiers to the area on Feb. 14-17 to help residents repair homes, while relevant officials assess the cost of the damage to compensate those affected, a villager who is a relative of an affected resident said Wednesday.
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“Those affected cannot live in their houses, so they are fixing them immediately on their own,” he said.
The roofs, ceilings, door and outside gates of several nearby homes were damaged in the explosion, though the main structures are intact, said the person who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal for speaking to the media.
However, the residents don’t expect aid from the government, so they are repairing their houses at their own expense because provincial authorities have not publicly discussed any compensation for them, he said.
A local official told RFA that relevant authorities have been collecting information about the damage so they can plan a budget to compensate those affected.
“The officials have been busy collecting information since last week, and they are now finalizing the figures,” he said.
Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFA Lao. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.