Hoi An after the flood: Racing against time to clear the thick layer of mud

The floodwaters have receded, leaving many streets in Hoi An’s ancient town covered in mud up to 20cm thick. Locals and authorities are working hard to clean up the mess and restore tourism.

Current status of the old town after the flood receded

After days of being submerged in floodwaters due to heavy rains and hydroelectric dam discharges, Hoi An ancient town is facing a new challenge as the water recedes: a thick layer of mud covering many streets. Locals and authorities are urgently racing against time to clean up, trying to restore the ancient beauty of the world heritage site and soon restore tourism activities.

Since the afternoon of November 21, floodwaters on the Hoai River have begun to recede from the pedestrian streets, but have left behind a layer of mud that is up to 0.2 meters thick in some places. Busy streets such as Bach Dang, Nguyen Phuc Chu, Nguyen Hoang... are covered in slippery mud, making it difficult to travel and do daily activities.

Thick layer of mud on Nguyen Phuc Chu street along Hoai river.

Previously, from November 16, floodwaters from the upper Thu Bon River began to rise. At the peak of the flood, Bach Dang Street along the river was flooded up to 1.5 meters, while inner streets such as Nguyen Thai Hoc and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai were also flooded from 0.8 to 1 meter deep.

The cleanup efforts are relentless.

As soon as the water receded, the clean-up work was urgently deployed. Hoi An Public Works Joint Stock Company mobilized specialized excavators and high-pressure water tankers to handle the thick layer of mud. Environmental staff and local people used rudimentary tools such as rakes and shovels to collect mud and clear clogged drains.

Environmental workers and residents worked together to clean up mud on the streets.

Many businesses also mobilized all their staff to clean up not only inside their stores but also on the sidewalks and streets. After being collected and filtered, the mud will be pushed back into the Hoai River. This is the third time in the past three weeks that Hoi An residents have had to work hard to clean up mud after the flood.

Travel amidst the cleaning scene

Despite the city being in disarray, Hoi An is still not without tourists. Many international visitors were interested, stopping to take pictures of the people and authorities working to restore the city. Some people had to go barefoot or use plastic bags to cover their shoes to move through the muddy roads.

Tourists have difficulty moving on the sidewalk of Nguyen Hoang Street due to the mud still covering it.

To facilitate the cleanup, the city government has temporarily suspended ticket sales and allowed people to use motorbikes in the walking street area. However, some tourist activities such as boating on the Hoai River are still taking place. Main routes such as Bach Dang, from Chau Thuong Van to Chua Cau, are being prioritized for cleaning. The cleaning work in central areas is expected to be completed as soon as possible.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/hoi-an-sau-lu-chay-dua-voi-thoi-gian-don-lop-bun-non-day-dac-404575.html