Navy commandos search for missing victims

Divers of the 126th Special Forces Brigade, Navy, are trying to find victims.

On the morning of October 1, General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense , called Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Tuan Anh, Deputy Brigade Commander of Brigade 126, to check, grasp the situation and encourage soldiers to make great efforts and determination in search and rescue and ensure safety in all aspects.

Divers equipped with specialized equipment, on rescue boats depart from the newly dived pontoon bridge to the collapsed bridge area. During the search, Navy divers always coordinate closely with forces present at the scene to coordinate the search.

Colonel Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Commander of the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command, said that the area around Phong Chau bridge is very complicated and the current is fast and deep; the search is beyond the capacity of the local forces. Therefore, the Provincial Military Command directly consulted with the provincial leaders to request the Ministry of National Defense to support forces and means, first of all, using frogmen and elite forces of the army to start deploying from September 30 and continue to search the entire area under the river, both banks from the collapsed Phong Chau bridge abutment to the pontoon bridge, hoping that with the elite forces of the army deployed to coordinate with local forces, the search will be carried out with the highest sense of responsibility.

The 126th Special Forces Brigade selected highly qualified divers with extensive experience in search and rescue operations in rivers and seas to participate this time. Before diving, the unit's medical staff examined blood pressure, heart rate and mental state to ensure they were qualified to carry out the mission.

Divers drop buoys and mark the dive locations in a grid pattern. Marking points are spaced approximately 100 meters apart to avoid missing targets. Diver safety is always a top priority. Communication is maintained seamlessly from the commander on shore, to the commander in the boat, and to the divers underwater.

According to Senior Lieutenant Pham Duy Vien, diving instructor of the 126th Special Forces Brigade, during the search, the water in the river was very muddy and fast flowing; carrying out the mission was extremely difficult, but with experience and a sense of responsibility, we tried our best to get results soon.

Some images of officers and soldiers of Special Forces Brigade 126, Navy, preparing and coordinating the search for victims: