Nghe An education sector suffers heavy damage after storm and flood

(Dan Tri) - Storm No. 10 and heavy rains have devastated hundreds of schools in Nghe An, with roofs blown off, deep in mud, thousands of pieces of equipment severely damaged, and estimated damage of about 250 billion VND.

Hundreds of schools destroyed

As of October 4, in Nghe An, there are still about 30 schools that cannot welcome students back and must focus on overcoming the consequences of storm No. 10 and the flood circulation.

According to statistics from the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, more than 250 schools in the province had their roofs blown off, collapsed, and were deeply submerged in floodwaters. In addition, the green tree system, signboards, and fences at many educational facilities were also severely damaged. The total initial damage was estimated at about 250 billion VND.

Muong Tip Kindergarten submerged in water (Photo: Pham Hong).

At Hung Loi Primary School (Lam Thanh commune), the storm blew off the roof of an entire two-story classroom building, two of which collapsed, damaging all teaching equipment and the structure of the building.

After the storm, floodwaters continued to rise and inundate the school, leaving behind mud and debris. The teachers returned to the school, rolling up their sleeves to clean up, moving desks and chairs, wiping the classroom floors, and collecting damaged items.

Taking advantage of the sunny weather, wet books and documents were put out to dry in the hallway, computer equipment was disassembled to dry, avoiding further damage. In the rubble, many teachers carefully searched for school supplies, washed them, and repaired them for reuse.

Ms. Tran Thi Oanh, Principal of Hung Loi Primary School, said: “The workload is huge, and with the floodwaters rising, it will be at least next week before we can welcome students back to class. For now, the severely damaged grade 4 classrooms will be fenced off to ensure safety.”

The school has 9 classes with 236 students. The 3-story building with its roof partially blown off can still be used temporarily, while the 4-story building is seriously degraded and needs a new construction plan.

Border kindergarten devastated once again

Not only the plains, many schools in mountainous and border areas were also submerged in floodwaters. At Muong Tip Kindergarten (former Ky Son district), water from the upper Nam Mo River (Laos) poured in on September 29, causing the entire campus to be deeply submerged.

Teachers only had time to run to high ground to ensure their safety, all teaching equipment was submerged in flood water.

By October 1, the water had begun to recede, leaving thick mud behind. Teachers and parents immediately set to work to fix the problem.

After the flood receded, authorities and teachers cleaned up mud at Muong Tip Kindergarten (Photo: Pham Hong).

“The teaching equipment that was just provided after the flood in July is now all damaged. The amount of mud and soil is too large, and the school is staffed entirely by female teachers, so human resources are difficult to handle,” said Ms. Pham Thi Hong, Principal of Muong Tip Kindergarten.

Currently, the road leading to the center of Muong Tip commune has been heavily eroded at many points, and the power grid is interrupted, making the recovery work even more difficult. This is a school that suffered heavy damage in the flood at the end of July, and had just received equipment support to start the new school year, but now it is devastated.

On the afternoon of October 4, Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoan, Chief of Office of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, said that the Department has directed schools to proactively come up with solutions; if necessary, students will be given time off to ensure safety.

Pham Hong Thai High School, Lam Thanh Commune, had its roof blown off after storm No. 10 (Photo: Nguyen Phe).

“Currently, about 30 schools at all levels across the province are flooded, students cannot go to class. Many places have receded but are still surrounded by mud, and cleanup and repair work is underway; some areas still have no electricity, so the report has only been done by phone, so it is not possible to fully summarize it,” said Mr. Hoan.

With the motto "clean up as the water recedes", many schools are mobilizing teachers, parents, and even local forces to join in clearing mud and restoring classrooms.

Nghe An's education sector is racing against time to bring students back to class soon, but the heavy damage caused by storms and floods remains a huge challenge for recovery work in the coming time.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nganh-giao-duc-nghe-an-ganh-chiu-thiet-hai-nang-ne-sau-bao-lu-20251004151115065.htm