Together with Da Nang

During the days of prolonged heavy rain, when floodwaters rose and the city was almost submerged in a thick gray sky, there were people who came to Da Nang.

The Dak Lak Green Agriculture Group used drones to deliver essential supplies to isolated people in Tra My commune. Photo: NVCC

They came not because they were called, but from the natural call of humanity and responsibility, all gathered together, sharing the burden with the city in the harshest days.

Rescue plane

On the morning of October 26, when the roads in Tra Giac and Tra Leng communes began to be cut off, the Green Agriculture group from Dak Lak province traveled nearly 500 kilometers to provide support.

Three members, Thanh Bach, Duong Van Luan and Nguyen Van Dat, brought along a drone T70, a vehicle used in high-tech agriculture, which has now become a rescue tool in the landslide area.

The group moved continuously between Bac Tra My and the highland communes, both scouting the way and waiting for engineers to clear the collapsed mountain passes. Mr. Bach said that sometimes the car was stuck for several hours because there were rolling rocks in front and mud behind. The group could only support households near the stream, those further away had to wait for authorities to clear the road before they could approach.

Since setting foot in Tra Leng, the group determined to use drones as the only way to access the isolated area.

They dropped small bags containing drinking water, food, life jackets and other essential items for the stranded people.

In just two days, more than 10 emergency cases were rescued from the flood, hundreds of households received necessities by air, while the ground terrain was still completely cut off.

Mr. Bach shared: “This plane is a personal device, the brothers in the group pooled their money to buy it for agricultural purposes, not a specialized rescue device. Flying in weather like this is very risky. But for the sake of our people, we accept that we can sacrifice the device.”

In the raging waters

Since the morning of October 27, when the Vu Gia River water level rose and many mountainous areas were isolated, the BDS Charity Association from Ho Chi Minh City reappeared on the relief map. The team was led by Mr. Tran Huy Dang (Tam Sang) - a person familiar with the flood-prone areas of the Central region.

Mr. Nguyen The Dinh flew from Ho Chi Minh City to his hometown Thu Bon to set up a free kitchen and personally deliver it to each household isolated by floodwaters. Photo: PHAN VINH

He brought a motorboat, pickup truck, cargo truck, ambulance and many protective equipment, traveling all night from Hue to Da Nang to coordinate with local rescue groups.

Before that, they had just completed support work in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue. “When we had just withdrawn from Quang Tri, we heard about the big flood in Da Nang, we only had time to refuel and leave immediately. There was no time to rest, but everyone understood that every minute was important at this time. A little delay could have cost a life,” said Mr. Dang.

Volunteer groups went deep into flooded areas such as Dai Loc, Nong Son, Que Phuoc, many roads were deeply flooded, vehicles had to be tied up and pulled together through the rushing water. They brought food, life jackets, medicine, transported people out of dangerous areas, supported single-parent families, pregnant women, and sick people. Most of the isolated areas had no electricity or communication, so access was very difficult.

There were cases that Mr. Dang and his team could not forget: “There was an old woman who lived alone, was blind, and did not know that water had flooded her house. When we broke the door, she still thought it was a stranger and refused to leave. We had to coax and persuade her for a long time before she would leave. There were also births, and sick people were brought to the hospital in time. Just seeing them safe and hearing their sighs of relief was enough to know that the effort was not in vain.”

Love for homeland

While rescue forces are straining in dangerous areas, in lower areas, ordinary people, businesses and fellow countrymen associations are also quietly "joining in".

In Thu Bon commune, a small house at Kiem Lam intersection has become a zero-dong kitchen, where people pick vegetables, cook, pack cans, and row boats to deliver rice. The kitchen was set up after just one hour of coming up with the idea by Nguyen The Dinh, a native of Thu Bon who is living in Ho Chi Minh City.

On the afternoon of October 28, when the floodwaters rose, Mr. Dinh immediately booked a flight back to his hometown. The next morning, he and more than 60 locals cooked nearly 3,000 portions of Quang noodles, then used canoes and small boats to transport them to isolated locations.

“There were families who had no food for days and had to collect rainwater to drink. When we rowed the boat in, carrying hot noodles, many people burst into tears. Seeing that, we just tried to work harder, going deeper, and wherever there were people, we had to find a way to get there,” said Dinh.

Also during those days, the Danang City Women Entrepreneurs Club urgently mobilized nearly 200 million VND, giving nearly 1,000 gifts including food, mineral water and necessary items to people in Dien Ban, Go Noi, Duy Nghia, Tra My communes and Huong Tra Dong ward.

Far away, the Da Nang City Association in Ho Chi Minh City also launched a donation program to support flood relief, coordinating with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Nang City to deliver gifts to the right addresses.

Mr. Le Hung, Permanent Vice President of the Association of Fellow Countrymen, said: “Quang Nam is always in the heart of every child far from home. Only in difficult times can we fully see the solidarity and heart of our fellow countrymen. We only hope to help in some way so that our homeland can soon stabilize.”

Da Nang was not alone in the midst of the flood, because somewhere, there were always hearts that shared the burden, kept this city standing firm in the face of challenges with kindness, responsibility and human love.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/cung-da-nang-ganh-gong-3308935.html