Left behind after the flood!

Officers and soldiers take people to the emergency room (Photo: Yen Khuong Border Guard Station).

On the afternoon of August 27, at Km105+450 on National Highway 47 through Yen Nhan commune, rocks and soil collapsed loudly, blocking the main road, paralyzing traffic, and completely isolating nearly 2,500 people from 3 villages in Yen Nhan and Bat Mot communes.

While the rain was still pouring down outside, at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Department, an urgent order was issued to rescue the people. A rescue team led by Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thai Quang Hoang, Deputy Director of the Provincial Police, immediately set off.

More than 100 officers and soldiers, wearing backpacks, crossed 10km of slippery forest roads, following the banks of streams with raging floodwaters to transport food, including bread, canned meat, sausages, dry food and drinking water to the villagers.

Tired steps, backs soaked with jungle rain, baskets of goods still passed from hand to hand. Everyone was thinking, for several days there had been no electricity, no information, local food had been swept away by the flood... the situation was very urgent, taking that as an effort to move forward.

Entering the isolated area, Mr. Quach The Thuan, Chairman of Yen Nhan Commune People's Committee, could not hide his emotion as he told the delegation: "For the past two days, the commune has been completely out of contact, and the people are in dire need of everything. Seeing the police officers carrying baskets of bread and buckets of water across the stream into the village, we were so happy that we cried."

Also during the days of heavy rain, in the border commune of Yen Khuong, the story made many witnesses feel heartbroken. On the night of August 27, torrential rain and floods brought landslides, causing the wooden house of Mr. Lo Van Bang and Ms. Ngan Thi Thu in Xang Hang village to collapse completely.

The couple was injured and received first aid from the Yen Khuong Border Post’s military doctors and the commune’s medical staff . However, the next morning, Ms. Thu’s injuries became more serious and she needed to be taken to the district hospital immediately. Dozens of landslides appeared on Provincial Road 530, making it impossible for vehicles to pass.

Faced with the critical situation, border guards decided to use hammocks and take turns carrying Ms. Thu across the bumpy, rocky roads to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Major Le Xuan Lam, Deputy Political Commissar of Yen Khuong Border Guard Station, recalled: “We had to hold onto every tree root and embankment to walk. There were places where the mud was up to our knees and we kept slipping and falling. But the lives of the people were paramount, we had to get her out in time.”

After many hours struggling in the landslide, Ms. Thu was taken to Ngoc Lac Regional General Hospital for timely treatment.

Amidst the hardships, the stories after the flood are like a message spreading strong belief in the close relationship between the army and the people.

During the response to storm No. 5 on August 26, border guards and police arrived at Ho village to assist households in evacuating people and property from areas at high risk of landslides and flash floods. At nearly 12 noon on the same day, members of the working group were assisting Mr. Vi Van Su's family in evacuating people and property. Suddenly, a large amount of soil and rock on the positive slope behind the house collapsed, rolled down, and knocked down Mr. Su's house. The roof and crossbeams collapsed, crushing Border Guard Lieutenant Colonel Lo Van Hien and Lieutenant Le Ngoc Vu, Hien Kiet Commune Police, injuring them.

Hearing the news, the villagers came to the medical station to visit and thank the soldier who risked his life to keep the people safe.

Storm No. 5 and the subsequent floods caused severe damage, but Thanh Hoa province proactively responded promptly. Before the storm made landfall, the province established 8 working groups led by provincial leaders to directly go to the grassroots to inspect and direct. In particular, 2 working groups were on duty in two key areas, Quan Son and Muong Lat, to closely monitor the situation.

For a locality that regularly suffers the wrath of nature, the ability to cope with storms and floods has become a reflex and a part of the entire political system.

After the storm, the recovery work is still being carried out these days. The roads are covered with mud, the villages are still isolated, and people still face shortages. But above all, what remains is human love, sharing without fear of hardship.

Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dong-lai-sau-lu-du-260300.htm