Mobilizing all resources to help flood victims

As of 6 p.m. on July 29, Nghe An still had 7 communes out of 56 villages isolated, of which 21 villages in Nhon Mai commune were still completely isolated. The Military Region 4 Command directed its subordinate units to continue organizing forces to help people overcome the consequences of floods and stabilize their lives soon.

Organize forces properly

On the morning of July 29, we followed the mobile forces from Tuong Duong commune to Muong Xen commune. Although the road had been cleared the day before, it still had many potential landslide risks. Along the way, huge blocks of rock and soil, trees were scattered along both sides of the road, some sections of rock and soil were piled up to more than 3m high, creating a scene of devastation after the flood.

At Cau 8 village, Muong Xen commune, nearly 100 officers and soldiers of Regiment 764, Nghe An Provincial Military Command are helping people overcome the consequences. The family of Lo Thi Huong is one of the most severely damaged. Mud and fallen trees covered the place where her and her three children used to live. Wiping away her tears, Huong choked up and shared: “The flood rose so quickly, I only had time to carry my two children and run out of the house. When I returned, all my house and property had been swept away by the water. Since that day, my mother and I have been eating and resting thanks to the help of the people, the government and benefactors. The soldiers came to help, clearing every meter of mud and soil, I hope to find something left that is still usable for my family.”

Militia soldier Vi Van Ba participates in transporting necessities to the village.

At Block 5, Muong Xen Commune, more than 20 officers and soldiers of Regiment 764 are assisting Mrs. Tran Thi Thin’s family in clearing nearly 10 cubic meters of thick mud covering their yard. Under the scorching sun after the flood, each hoe and shovel stroke requires great strength and perseverance. Primitive tools such as hoes and shovels... break and break frequently.

Directly commanding at the scene, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Binh, Deputy Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff of Regiment 764, said: “According to the plan, more than 100 officers and soldiers are carrying out field operations to do mass mobilization work in Que Phong commune. Receiving instructions from the Provincial Military Command and the Military Region 4 Command, the unit immediately marched at night, arriving at Muong Xen at 2:00 a.m., coordinating with local authorities and friendly units to immediately help the people”. In the first 3 days, Regiment 764 focused on supporting policy families, single people and households that suffered heavy losses. Soldiers cleaned up houses, handled mud and soil, overcame the consequences, and helped people stabilize their lives soon.

"We are determined to continue to stick to the area, closely coordinate with the Party Committee and government to gradually bring people's lives back to normal," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Binh affirmed.

The weather turned hot and sunny, the water receded quickly, so the mud and soil dried up. In Tuong Duong commune, officers and soldiers of Regiment 1, Division 324 had to reorganize their forces to help the people. Company 1, Battalion 1 was tasked with using water pumps to dissolve the mud and trash, creating conditions for soldiers to push the mud and trash from small alleys and roads in residential areas to areas that excavators and bulldozers could reach; scooping the trash and mud onto trucks to transport them to the collection point.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Thanh, Deputy Commander of Regiment 1, said: "We divide the remaining force into small groups to help families with few people, those in especially difficult circumstances, and families with preferential policies, each family has from 3 to 5 comrades."

Militia of Tuong Duong commune help people transport mud out of their houses.

More than 100 militiamen of Tuong Duong commune, along with officers and soldiers of the Defense Command of Region 4-Tuong Duong, have entered the 9th day of efforts to help people overcome the consequences of the flood. Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Dang Tu, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Defense Command of Region 4-Tuong Duong, said: “The amount of mud and soil was too large, the soldiers were soaked in mud and water from morning to night, so their clothes did not have time to dry for use. The unit coordinated with the locality to temporarily release more than 200 sets of militia and self-defense clothing to Regiment 1, Division 324 for officers and soldiers of Regiment 1 to use at their positions.”

Pump efficiency

After the historic flood, 36 households in Xang Tren village, My Ly commune had their houses and properties washed away, dozens of other households were seriously affected; traffic into the village was also isolated, the village faced many difficulties. Faced with that reality, local authorities and forces used motorboats to go upstream on the Nam Non river to transport essential supplies to ensure the immediate life of the people. At nearly 12 noon, when the motorboat carrying a lot of food, foodstuffs, and necessary items supported by the People's Committee of My Ly commune and the Border Guard just arrived at the dock on the riverbank in Xang Tren village, militiamen and people in the village came down to urgently pick them up and bring them to the gathering point to distribute to the families.

The sun was scorching hot, the terrain was steep, everyone’s faces were red and sweaty. Among those who participated in transporting goods back to the village, militia soldier Vi Van Ba had a sad face but still regularly “carried” necessities to serve the people. When we asked him, soldier Vi Van Ba shared: “My house was completely swept away by the flood. Although I am very sad, I still try to help the households in more difficult circumstances.”

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 1, Division 324 use high-capacity pumps to help people clean up mud after the flood.

During the days when the western areas of Nghe An were struggling with the flood, people from the lowlands volunteered to carry pumps, water pipes, gasoline cans... over the mountains to help people in the highlands clear the flood. After the historic flood, many villages were submerged in mud; houses and roads were covered by a thick layer of mud up to 1 meter thick. Mr. Dang Ngoc Thanh and Mr. Nguyen Minh Sang (Vinh Tuong commune) immediately set out with their family's high-capacity pumps, generators, 250m long pipes and gasoline to be ready to operate on the spot. In the chaotic scene after the flood, generators and water pumps from the lowlands appeared as "saviors", helping people in the flooded areas. Mr. Dang Ngoc Thanh said: “When I saw the devastation in the flooded area with my own eyes, I was speechless. It was heartbreaking to see it on the news and social media, but when I got there, I saw the full extent of it. People were stunned and exhausted on the roadside. Some people did not sleep all night because the flood water flooded their houses and all their belongings were washed away.”

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 764 (Nghe An Provincial Military Command) overcome flood consequences in Muong Xen commune.

Without waiting for the organization or anyone to call, Mr. Thanh and Mr. Sang proactively brought the pump to the flood center of Tuong Duong commune. As soon as they arrived, the two rolled up their sleeves, started the machine, and pumped water from the river to wash the road and clean the yards of the households. Under the strong pressure from the high-capacity pump, patches of mud peeled off, and the road surface gradually became visible after many days of being submerged in the flood. "In just the first morning, I and the people sprayed and cleaned nearly 500m of road and helped dozens of households clean up the mud," said Mr. Dang Ngoc Thanh.

In addition to Mr. Thanh and Mr. Sang, many people volunteered to bring machinery and vehicles from the lowlands to the highlands to help people clear the flood. The dedication and responsibility of the soldiers and the practical actions of the people are proof of the close relationship between the army and the people, the spirit of solidarity and "mutual love" of our nation. In the mud and water, where life seemed to be swept away, human love flourished, warmer than ever.

Group of reporters and collaborators at Military Region 4

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/huy-dong-tong-luc-giup-dan-vung-lu-839220