A heart-wrenching search in Nu Village

Three days after the particularly severe flash floods and landslides in Lang Nu village (Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province), 50 people are still missing.

Military forces are searching for missing victims in Nu Village - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

By 6 PM on September 12th, authorities had found and confirmed 45 deaths, 17 injuries , and 46 people were safe.

Heartbreaking cries

On the second day of the search, the sun came out, and the water in the stream flowing through Lang Nu village had receded significantly. Amidst the rubble, Lao Cai province and Military Region 2 mobilized 650 people to the scene to search for missing victims. Military personnel, police, militia, and local residents cordoned off the area, working in shifts to urgently wade through the deep mud, searching every tree stump and blade of grass for victims . In addition, 11 officers from the 24th Border Guard Training School and 5 sniffer dogs were deployed to assist in the search. Furthermore, authorities used drones to observe and assist in the search, locating missing victims. Many people with relatives still missing came to the scene to follow the search. On the morning of September 12th, when authorities announced the discovery of her daughter's body, the heart-wrenching cries of Ms. Dang Phuong Linh deeply saddened those around her. For the past two days, Ms. Linh has been going to the scene, anxiously awaiting news of her two young children, who are in elementary school, and her missing mother-in-law. Relatives have been constantly by her side, encouraging her to try to overcome this pain.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects Nu Village - Photo: Nguyen Khanh

According to Ms. Linh's account, early on the morning of September 10th, her family, including her mother, husband, and two children, were sleeping in their house. When she woke up, she heard a loud explosion. Looking up towards Con Voi Mountain, she saw a bright red color, and then rocks and earth cascaded down. "This disaster is so terrible. It came while my elderly mother and two young children were still asleep," Ms. Linh sobbed, and she and her relatives followed the coffin carrying her child to the burial site. After arranging the funerals for her daughter-in-law and two granddaughters, this morning Ms. Hoang Thi Soi (58 years old) brought a photo of her remaining granddaughter to the scene to seek information. Ms. Soi shared that out of her son's family of five, only Mr. Hoang Van Nham (36 years old) was fortunate enough to survive, found by villagers at the end of the village. Currently, Mr. Nham is being treated at Bao Yen District General Hospital with a broken leg and multiple injuries. The remaining four people, daughter-in-law Hoang Thi H. (33 years old) and grandchildren Hoang Quynh M. (15 years old), Hoang Quynh L. (11 years old), and Hoang Quynh L. (2 years old), have died or are missing.

Mrs. Hoang Thi Bong burst into tears as her husband remains missing under the rubble after the devastating flash flood in Lang Nu village (Lao Cai) - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

"My 11-year-old granddaughter is still missing. Now I just hope she'll be reunited with her mother, her sister, and her siblings soon. It's so painful and heartbreaking; my three grandchildren are gone forever...", Mrs. Soi said, constantly looking towards the search area.

Watching the search efforts by the authorities, Mrs. Long Thi Hen continuously cried out, calling for her daughter. "My daughter's body has been under the mud for more than two days now, and we haven't found her anywhere. I'm so heartbroken. Where are you, my daughter? Please let everyone find you so you can come home to me, to your husband and children," Mrs. Hen cried. According to Mrs. Hen, the flash flood and landslide caused the deaths of her entire family: her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Her son-in-law and granddaughter were found by local residents on the afternoon of September 10th and have been buried, but her daughter remains missing. According to the plan of the authorities, including the army, police, and local residents, on September 13th, they will continue to concentrate forces and equipment to search for the remaining missing victims.

Search and rescue dogs were deployed to look for missing victims in Nu Village - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

The construction of Lang Nu village must be completed by December 31st.

On the afternoon of September 12th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh personally visited the landslide site in Lang Nu village to inspect the situation, check on, and encourage the forces searching for victims. On his way to the community center, the Prime Minister stopped his car and waded out to visit the search team. The road from Bao Yen district to Lang Nu village (Phuc Khanh commune) is about 12km long, but it is narrow, difficult to navigate, and full of rocks and debris due to the aftermath of Typhoon No. 3 and its aftermath. Along with the efforts to search for victims, the authorities are currently working to repair the damaged sections of the road. Speaking at the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed his deepest condolences to the families and relatives of those who died. He requested that attention be focused on several important tasks. Among them, he urged the forces to concentrate on searching for missing persons and to change the search methods to achieve the highest efficiency. He also emphasized the need for full medical care and treatment for the injured. Along with that, environmental sanitation must be addressed. He said that during his visit to the site, he observed sanitation issues and emphasized the need to ensure disease prevention. Regarding transportation, he suggested that problems be resolved quickly, and that the education sector should promptly restore facilities to ensure children can return to school as soon as possible. The Prime Minister also stressed the need to restore production, business, employment, and livelihoods for the people. In addition, he stressed the importance of encouraging, sharing, and understanding the difficulties faced by the people in order to provide support. He requested a survey and planning of safe locations with the scientific input of specialized agencies to rebuild and restore Lang Nu village, ensuring that households have safe housing with appropriate infrastructure. This must be completed no later than December 31, 2024. Lao Cai province will take the lead in implementation, reporting any shortcomings to the Government; and will utilize special mechanisms to handle related issues, such as mobilizing engineering troops to rebuild the village. "By December 31st, all surviving individuals and households must have stable housing, access to electricity and water, recreational areas, green spaces, and a safe and healthy living environment," the Prime Minister stated.

Quickly stabilize living conditions and production.

Ms. Ha Thi Nga, President of the Vietnam Women's Union, visits relatives of victims of the flash flood in Lang Nu village - Photo: Nguyen Khanh

Previously, in its report, Lao Cai province requested the Government and the Prime Minister to consider providing early financial support to overcome the consequences of natural disasters in Lao Cai province to stabilize the lives of the people, restore production, and develop socio-economic activities in the province. Initially, it requested 1,000 billion VND. Of this amount, approximately 300 billion VND is for repairing and rebuilding houses and auxiliary facilities serving the people's lives. Approximately 700 billion VND is for repairing and mitigating landslides affecting transportation routes, offices, schools, hospitals, and other public works. Lao Cai province is mobilizing local resources and the participation of the people, businesses, and socio-political organizations to repair and restore agricultural infrastructure, water supply systems, and irrigation works serving production... in order to quickly stabilize the lives and production of the people and businesses in the province.

Determined to stabilize the situation

Representatives from Tuoi Tre newspaper presented 20 gifts to Ms. Tran Thi Thu, head of the village's Fatherland Front committee, to be distributed to the villagers. - Photo: NGOC QUANG

Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee Chairman Trinh Xuan Truong described the flash flood that swept away almost the entire village of Lang Nu as a horrific event. According to Mr. Truong, a total of 650 people from the 2nd Military Region, police, and other organizations are working diligently to search for missing victims. Over the past few days, Lao Cai has received support from many localities, organizations, and individuals, and resources have been allocated appropriately. Currently, the government is focusing on rescuing survivors and searching for the missing. For the remaining households, the authorities have relocated them from unsafe areas. He stated that the province will survey the 20 hectares of land and conduct a thorough assessment to determine its safety. If deemed safe, they will request a mechanism to quickly design and construct a resettlement area and rebuild new homes for the affected residents. "We are determined to stabilize the situation; although it remains difficult, we will overcome the challenges," Mr. Truong said. Earlier, during a discussion with local residents, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Lao Cai province emphasized that although Lang Nu village has lost a part of itself, efforts must be made to make the new Lang Nu village better.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cuoc-tim-kiem-dam-nuoc-mat-o-lang-nu-20240913074902779.htm#content-2