Flood victims in Thai Nguyen climb roofs to beg for bottles of water

Thai Nguyen city is surrounded by water - Photo: NGUYEN HOAN

On the morning of October 8th, floodwaters submerged tens of thousands of homes in communes and wards along the Cau River. In some areas, the water level reached 4 meters. With no electricity and no phone signal, residents climbed onto rooftops to await rescue, begging for bottles of water and packets of instant noodles.

Climb onto the roof to escape the flood.

Last night, the Cau River rose very quickly, and residents in Phan Dinh Phung, Dong Quang, and Gia Sang wards didn't have time to escape. In just 5 hours, the water had risen to head level, submerging the streets.

Mr. Hoang Van Thang's family, residing in Group 4, Gia Sang Ward, Thai Nguyen Province , consists of five people who have been crammed together with their belongings on the second floor for the past two days. Lacking food and clean water, he has been using buckets and basins from inside the house to collect rainwater for use.

By the morning of October 8th, he had called for help from a rescue team to evacuate his elderly mother, wife, and two children. He said that since the night of October 6th, the whole family had been working together to move their belongings to higher ground.

Residents of Gia Sang ward climb onto awnings to beg for water and instant noodles - Photo: VU TUAN

"During the peak of the flood after Typhoon Yagi last year, my house was submerged up to my knees. We heard the forecast that the flood could exceed half a meter, so we moved the refrigerator onto the dining table and the washing machine and TV on top of the cupboard. Unexpectedly, the water flooded almost the entire first floor; our belongings, food... were all submerged and covered in mud," Mr. Thang said.

In Mr. Thang's neighborhood, most people didn't have time to escape the flood; cars, refrigerators, and other belongings floated everywhere. Whenever a rescue boat passed by, people would climb onto the roofs or hang out onto the balconies, holding out their hands to beg for water.

People in Thai Nguyen share bags of food during the floods - Photo: Vu Tuan

Mr. Ngo Van Luyen, from Tan Cuong commune (Thai Nguyen province), and his group of friends, upon hearing news of rising floodwaters, formed a rescue team. They pooled money to buy food, milk, and water, then used motorboats to reach the isolated area.

"We prioritize saving lives first. Wherever people are calling for help, we go there first and move them to a safe area. Along the way, if any household needs assistance, we can only give them a few bottles of water or a few packets of instant noodles," Mr. Luyen said.

Mr. Luyen's rescue boat was constantly on the move. They ate bread and drank boxed milk to sustain themselves. By the end of the morning, they had made three trips, safely evacuating more than a dozen people.

Other families would dock their boats near their homes, tie the gifts to ropes, or throw them onto the roof. Some people would swim out into the middle of the river to receive individual packages and bottles of water.

Thousands of households in flood-affected areas lack food and drinking water - Photo: VU TUAN

Thousands of households remain isolated, awaiting rescue.

Early this morning, floodwaters on the Cau River, measured at the Gia Bay hydrological station (Gia Sang ward), reached 29.90m, exceeding alarm level 3 by approximately 2.90m and surpassing the historical flood peak after Typhoon Yagi in 2024 by 1.09m. Many areas in Vo Nhai, Tan Long, Gia Sang, etc., were flooded up to the first floor. In some places, even the second floor was submerged.

Residents of Gia Sang ward carry styrofoam boxes to ask for relief supplies - Photo: VU TUAN

People are sending messages asking for help and waiting for aid. They lack food, water, electricity, and signal; most rescue information and their current location are provided by relatives elsewhere.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dat, residing in Group 5, Tuc Duyen Ward, who was studying in Hanoi, took a bus back to Thai Nguyen to find information about his family. He said the last time he contacted his family was in the early morning of October 7th. "At that time, my house was almost completely flooded on the first floor. Now the water is so high... I don't know if my family has been rescued yet..." - Mr. Dat said, his voice choked with emotion.

A hurried lunch on the rescue boat - Photo: VU TUAN

According to the Civil Defense Command of Thai Nguyen province, many residential areas are still inaccessible to rescue forces due to strong currents. Team members have been mobilizing boats, rafts, and other means of transportation for rescue and relief efforts non-stop for the past few days.

Currently, many volunteer rescue groups from other provinces have brought boats and food to support the people of Thai Nguyen.

The father and son have just escaped the terrifying days of fleeing the floods - Photo: VU TUAN

Rescue vehicles wait for rescue operations in the floods of Thai Nguyen - Photo: Vu Tuan

Four members of a family in the flooded Gia Sang area were rescued by local residents - Photo: VU TUAN

The extent of the damage from the historic floods in Thai Nguyen has not yet been determined - Photo: Vu Tuan

The pigs were lucky to find shelter on the roof of a car during the flood - Photo: VU TUAN

Rescue workers are working non-stop to evacuate people from the floods - Photo: VU TUAN

Streets in Thai Nguyen are flooded to an unprecedented degree.

At least 45 communes and wards with more than 5,000 households in Thai Nguyen were isolated and deeply submerged in the historic floods caused by the remnants of Typhoon Matmo (Typhoon No. 11).

The floodwaters rose rapidly and reached historically high levels, leaving many residential areas and people in low-lying areas along the Cau River unable to escape, isolated and trapped in their homes due to the massive flooding.

Residential areas in Thai Nguyen are deeply submerged in floodwaters on the morning of October 8th - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Rescue forces evacuate people trapped by floods - Photo: Thai Nguyen Police

According to preliminary statistics from Thai Nguyen province as of 5:00 AM on October 8th, at least 45 communes and wards were flooded, causing widespread power outages.

Military Region 1, the Provincial Military Command, the Provincial Police, and other agencies, units, and localities mobilized thousands of officers, soldiers, militia forces, security personnel, and youth, along with numerous cars, motorboats, and rescue equipment, to reach isolated and deeply flooded areas to "rescue" trapped people and assist in evacuating property from dangerous zones.

According to assessments by authorities in Thai Nguyen province, this is a case of "natural disaster upon natural disaster," and the remnants of Typhoon Matmo have caused unprecedented impacts in Thai Nguyen.

The Standing Committee of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee has requested the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee, based on the actual situation regarding the impact of Typhoon Matmo and current regulations, to consider issuing a decision declaring a state of emergency due to natural disaster in order to urgently handle the response to rain and floods in the area.

Due to the influence of the post-typhoon circulation of Matmo and the convergence of longitude winds, Thai Nguyen experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall from the night of October 6th to the morning of October 7th - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

In Thai Nguyen, some areas experienced rainfall of up to 500mm within approximately 12 hours, causing the Cau River section passing through Thai Nguyen to rise very rapidly - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Floodwaters reached the roof of the first floor - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Dormitory area and stadium of Thai Nguyen University of Education - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Area around Thai Nguyen University of Education - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Floodwaters engulf the center of Thai Nguyen province - Photo: KHAC LE DUY

Rescue forces brought people in flooded areas to safety on the morning of October 8 - Photo: VU TUAN

According to quick statistics from Thai Nguyen province as of 5:00 AM on October 8th, 4 people have died, 2 are missing, and 2 have been injured due to floods and heavy rain - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

In the communes of Vo Nhai, Trang Xa, Dan Tien, Trai Cau, Nam Hoa, Hop Tien, Linh Son, Phan Dinh Phung, Quan Trieu, Van Lang and some other areas... the river water rose, isolating many residential areas - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Many areas experienced landslides, and numerous roads were flooded and cut off. The Provincial Military Command and the Provincial Police coordinated with local authorities and on-site forces to support and rescue the relocation of people from dangerous, isolated flooded areas to safety. - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

By the morning of October 8th, floodwaters on the Cau River began to recede slowly - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

Flooding in Thai Nguyen is predicted to continue for another 3-4 days - Photo: LE DUY KHAC

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting on the morning of October 8th, the flood level on the Cau River (Thai Nguyen) at the Gia Bay station peaked at 29.9m (at 3 am), approximately 2.9m above alarm level 3 and 1.09m above the historical level of 2024 (28.81m).

The floodwaters are receding slowly. As of 10:00 AM on October 8th, the floodwaters had receded by 0.22 meters from their peak.

Previously, due to the influence of the post-typhoon circulation of Matmo and the convergence of long-range winds, Thai Nguyen experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall from the night to the morning of October 7th, with some areas receiving up to 500mm in approximately 12 hours, causing the Cau River section passing through Thai Nguyen province to rise very rapidly.

Data from Vietnam's disaster monitoring system shows that within 12 hours (from 1 AM to 1 PM on October 7th), the floodwaters on the Cau River section passing through Gia Bay Bridge rose by 5.33 meters, and in the following 12 hours, the floodwaters rose by another 1.21 meters.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dan-vung-lu-thai-nguyen-leo-mai-nha-xin-tung-chai-nuoc-20251008134659516.htm#content-13