Using drones and flycams for flood relief.

The VietFlycam team is preparing to carry out a relief flight for people in flood-affected areas - Photo: Provided by the subject.

Organizations and businesses have adopted many innovative solutions, from using drones to mobile applications, to deliver relief supplies to hard-to-reach places and connect those in need with available resources.

Delivering relief supplies.

One notable solution is the use of drones to deliver relief supplies. Do Quoc Viet, a member of Vietflycam Company, shared about a particularly challenging relief operation in Tuyen Quang city.

His team received information about a woman who had just given birth and was trapped in swirling floodwaters. Due to the high water levels, land-based rescue vessels were unable to reach her immediately.

The Vietflycam team quickly deployed a drone to pinpoint the exact location of the family in distress.

They then used drones to transport essential supplies such as power banks, drinking water, milk, and food, dropping them to the family to help them survive while waiting for rescue teams to arrive.

Since receiving information about the severe flooding situation, Vietflycam has mobilized all of its company resources, including vehicles, drones, and relief supplies, to support affected provinces such as Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai .

The company owns a wide range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with diverse capabilities, from the M600 Pro capable of carrying a 7kg payload, the T50 capable of carrying 50kg, to the M350 specifically designed for terrain surveying and the Mavic equipped with a thermal camera for locating people.

After more than a day of operation, the team had completed over 300 flights per day. They not only transported relief supplies but also carried out search and rescue missions, surveyed flooded and landslide-prone areas, and pinpointed the exact locations of those in need of assistance to inform the authorities.

The use of drones in relief efforts has proven to be highly effective.

During the day, they help locate people more quickly, while at night, as long as people have means of attracting attention such as lights or phones, drones can still reach and drop relief supplies even in completely isolated areas that traditional rescue vehicles cannot reach.

Call for help and report your location via the app.

Alongside the use of aviation technology, mobile applications also play a crucial role in connecting people with relief resources.

The Zalo app launched its Zalo SOS feature on September 7th to support people in provinces affected by Super Typhoon Yagi .

This feature allows users to share their current situation or request emergency assistance. With "Share Status," people can post a status like "I'm safe" or "I'm in trouble" along with specific information about their situation.

Additionally, the "Request Assistance" feature allows users to perform two actions: "Connect for Relief" and "Contact for Emergency" directly within the "Vietnam Disaster Prevention and Control" Mini App.

This application was released on the Zalo platform by the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The "Connect for Relief" feature helps people call for help in emergency situations, while "Emergency Contact" provides a list of hotlines in areas affected by storms and floods.

According to Zalo's statistics, as of September 10th, 72,000 people had used the emergency contact feature and 36,400 had contacted them in case of emergency.

In addition, 586,000 people have updated their safety status through the Zalo SOS feature. Currently, this feature has been expanded to residents in 23 northern provinces and cities, including Hanoi and neighboring provinces and cities.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dung-flycam-drone-cuu-tro-lu-lut-20240913083310363.htm