The death toll from the dam collapse in Laos could be much higher than the official figure of 27, local people and aid agencies have told the BBC.

Few details of the rescue operation are being released by the Laotian authorities – but a BBC team managed to gain brief access to the site and survivors, despite a ban on foreign media.

At the main hospital in Attapeau, the town closest to the disaster zone, those who were injured and rescued have been receiving treatment.

They include La and his wife Aun, whose two daughters were swept away. La described how the current pulled the boat carrying his one-year-old daughter out of his hands.

“I put my daughter and my wife on the boat. I tried to hold it but the water was very strong. I couldn’t hold it any longer and the boat flipped over and my daughter fell into the water,” he said.