While the sea waves continued to surge violently, hundreds of officers, soldiers, and local residents united to "use human strength to stop the waves," urgently reinforcing each section of the embankment, determined to protect the safety of the residential area, especially before typhoon No. 13 was about to make landfall.
The An Luong embankment, built in 2002 and approximately 1.1 km long, was intended to protect coastal residential areas and local transportation routes. After more than 20 years, the structure has severely deteriorated. Following Typhoon No. 12 and the recent historic floods in Da Nang, strong waves combined with high tides caused significant damage, breaking several sections of the embankment over several kilometers.
According to observations by VNA reporters, in some places the embankment's foundation has been deeply eroded, encroaching close to residential areas, the embankment slopes have subsided, the embankment itself is cracked, and there is a risk of collapse at any time. Along the embankment, many locations are only a few meters away from residential areas. Large waves crash in, and seawater has encroached deep into the foundations of people's houses.
Ms. Tran Thi Hanh (owner of a shop near the An Luong embankment) said worriedly: “The sea is eroding too much; my stall is now only a few meters from the water's edge. Customers don't dare come, and the damage is severe. If the erosion continues, the risk of my shop collapsing could happen at any time.”
Mr. Nguyen Van Tai (a resident of An Luong village, Duy Nghia commune) shared: "For the past few days, there have been strong winds and big waves crashing against the embankment day and night. With another flood, I'm afraid the embankment won't be able to withstand the destructive power of nature. Everyone in the village is worried and doesn't dare sleep for fear of the water rushing in at any moment."
The cracks and landslides along the An Luong embankment are not only signs of deterioration in a structure protecting the community, but also sound an alarm about the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, coastal erosion, and extreme rainfall and flooding. With over 200 households living right at the water's edge, each storm brings renewed anxiety. Residents hope the authorities will soon implement a solid embankment solution to prevent further landslides and ensure the safety of lives and property in the coastal community.
Given the complex developments of the natural disaster, the Da Nang City Military Command established a forward command post in Duy Nghia commune, headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff. Military forces, along with the government and local people, are on duty in shifts, constantly monitoring water levels and proactively evacuating residents in case of emergencies. Simultaneously, they are urgently mobilizing forces, equipment, and supplies for rescue efforts, determined to prevent the embankment from collapsing and ensure the safety of the people.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hung, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Da Nang City Military Command, said: "We have urgently mobilized officers and soldiers of the Command and proposed that the 5th Military Region Command send forces from the 375th Division to be on standby at this location. However, currently, the weather situation is extremely complicated; the embankment, which initially only had a few hundred meters of erosion, has now collapsed for about 1,500 meters."
Immediately following the directive, hundreds of officers and soldiers from the 315th Division (Military Region 5), the City Military Command, along with police, militia, and local residents, simultaneously deployed to reinforce the embankment. Sandbags were passed from hand to hand, stacked to form a temporary barrier, embodying the will and aspirations of the entire population to reduce the pressure of the fierce waves.
Tran Thanh Nguyen (15 years old, Duy Nghia commune) shared that, taking advantage of the time the school was closed due to the floods, he and his peers went to the landslide area to shovel sandbags and transport them to the local military and civilians to reinforce the embankment.
Mr. Pham Van Biet (Duy Nghia commune, Da Nang city) said: “Every day, 20-30 trucks belonging to local residents bring sand to the landslide area for the authorities to reinforce the embankment. All the effort and costs are completely free. We only hope that our people can live in safety and escape the threat of landslides.”
Amidst the chaotic shoreline, the image of soldiers and local people standing shoulder to shoulder, passing bags of sand hand to hand in the cold rain, is clear evidence of the spirit of "military and civilians united." Together, they are "using human strength to stop the waves," protecting the embankment and the peaceful lives of hundreds of coastal households.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hung added: "We continue to strengthen our resources, personnel, and materials to focus on improving the embankment with the determination to prevent further erosion. In vulnerable areas, we have used gabions filled with sandbags, reinforcing the embankment underneath; at the same time, we have laid large tarpaulins to limit wave impact on vulnerable areas. We are determined to maintain the embankment and ensure absolute safety for the people."
Amidst the raging waves, the image of soldiers, police officers, militia, and young people, along with local residents, passing sandbags to reinforce the embankment has become a vivid testament to the spirit of solidarity between the military and the people. This unity is contributing to strengthening the embankment and protecting the peaceful lives of hundreds of households in the An Luong coastal area.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/chan-song-giu-ke-an-luong-da-nang-20251105112159172.htm
