ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's premier says he'll work with independent consultants and elders to assess why a community downstream from the new Muskrat Falls hydro dam was suddenly flooded.
Dwight Ball says people need answers about what happened and whether it's safe to return to Mud Lake.
Residents of 48 homes and some pets were airlifted from the community in central Labrador last week after ice jammed nearby on the Churchill River.
Ball says people who've never seen such conditions before want to know if operations at the new hydro dam were a factor.
He says independent consultants will be asked to assess water flow records, along with traditional knowledge from elders who've lived there for decades.
A public report is to be released as soon as possible.
