Working day and night to overcome the floods, a full-scale effort is being made to rescue people.

After days of racing against the floodwaters to rescue people, as the water began to recede, the military forces in Dak Lak province entered a new "front"—a silent but equally arduous one: addressing the consequences, cleaning up the environment, repairing houses, and rebuilding the lives of people in the flooded areas.

Breathtaking rescues

In Binh Thanh neighborhood (Xuan Dai ward), floodwaters rose rapidly, completely isolating many households. Upon discovering a house where a mother and her two-month-old baby were trapped, the soldiers of the Xuan Dai Border Guard Post immediately deployed forces to reach them. The strong current made movement extremely dangerous; the officers and soldiers had to use anchor ropes as support, wading through the water to reach the second floor. The baby was turning blue from the cold, and the mother was panicking. After calming them down, the team helped the mother and child onto a small boat and safely crossed the deep water.

In Tuy An Dong commune, floods severely cut off many areas. Upon receiving a report of a pregnant woman in labor in a deeply flooded area, officers and soldiers of the An Hai Border Guard Post immediately used a specialized vehicle to navigate slippery roads and transport the woman to the O Loan commune health station. However, the medical facilities were inadequate for childbirth, so the team had to continue transporting the woman to Viet My Hospital (Tuy Hoa ward). At Dien Hoi village, the strong currents cut off the road, preventing the vehicle from proceeding further. The officers transferred the woman to a small boat, navigating through the floodwaters in the dark of night. Thanks to their coordinated efforts and high determination, the woman was successfully transported to the hospital in time.

Border guards are focusing on cleaning up the eastern communes and wards.

The recent historic flood submerged Duc Binh commune in water for three days and nights. In some places, the water rose by tens of meters, with even the lowest areas flooded by more than 3 meters. When the water receded, all that remained was thick mud and devastation. Many households were left without "five things": no homes, no possessions, no rice, no electricity, and no clean water. When they saw the forces of Regiment 66 (Division 10, Corps 34) entering the village, many people burst into tears. Ms. Huynh Thi Hoa choked out, "We've lost everything, gentlemen..."

Following the principle of addressing damage as soon as the floodwaters recede, soldiers of Regiment 66 braved the cold rain to help clear village roads, unclog drains, and remove mud from schools and residential areas. Notably, they also assisted in funeral arrangements for a family who lost a loved one in the flood and transported a critically ill patient to the hospital while transportation remained cut off.

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Chi Cong, Deputy Chief of Staff of the 10th Division, shared: “The people are suffering too many losses. The order right now is to act with the utmost urgency and responsibility to help them stabilize their lives as soon as possible.”

In western communes such as Cu Pui, Yang Mao, Krong A, Cu Prao, Ea Rieng, Ea Trang, Ea O, etc., heavy rain and water flowing from upstream caused many areas to be submerged. Thousands of military personnel, police officers, and militia members urgently evacuated people from flooded and landslide-prone areas.

In the Buon Don border region, rising water levels have turned many villages into "islands." In particular, Drang Phok village is completely isolated, with Bridge 18 submerged by more than 1 meter. Following the principle of "wherever the water rises, the border guards will be on standby," the force has mobilized maximum personnel, equipment, canoes, and specialized vehicles for rescue operations. More than 50 households with over 150 people have been urgently evacuated.

Soldiers from Xuan Dai Border Guard Post rescue people during floods.

During many periods of communication disruption, task forces had to use walkie-talkies for direct communication or split into smaller teams, venturing into each village and residential cluster to assess the situation. Dozens of mobile teams, carrying medicine, life jackets, and rescue ropes, were deployed to isolated areas to check, compile lists, and evacuate according to priority. Beyond rescuing people, officers and soldiers also assisted in clearing mud and debris, repairing infrastructure, receiving and distributing supplies, and relocating hundreds of households along with their belongings.

Colonel Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command and Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command, emphasized: "No matter how difficult the circumstances, the border guards are determined to be a solid support for the people."

While the frontline forces strained themselves "fighting" amidst the floodwaters and mud, behind the scenes, another front was equally intense and urgent. Without being told, everyone considered rescuing their fellow countrymen a command from the heart.

At the Provincial Military Command headquarters, the lights shone brightly throughout the night. Officers and members of the Women's Association set aside their personal affairs, diligently sorting and packing essential supplies. Each piece of clothing, each packet of instant noodles, was meticulously arranged, imbued with the warmth of the home front, hoping to dispel the biting cold of the flood-stricken region.

An atmosphere of urgency spread throughout the communes and wards of the province. In Ea Súp commune, the commune's Military Command and the people lit fires to wrap 1,000 green sticky rice cakes, creating a beautiful image of solidarity between the military and the people. At Infantry Company 2 (Defense Command of Area 3 – Ea Súp), the unit gathered even the smallest items: 14 large boxes of instant noodles, 500 kg of vegetables and fruits, blister packs of Panadol and Berberine medicine, and mobilized their sister unit to provide an additional 100 boxes of bottled water. Lieutenant Tô Hữu Sỹ, Political Officer of the Company, said: "With all our hearts, we encouraged everyone to contribute whatever they could, as long as it helps the people in this difficult time."

According to Lieutenant Colonel Le Quang Hiep, Deputy Head of Political Affairs of the 2nd Division, since November 19th, the unit has also sent more than 1,200 officers and soldiers to the flood-stricken areas of Gia Lai and Dak Lak. In Dak Lak alone, more than 700 officers and soldiers are providing support in difficult communes such as Son Hoa, Hoa My, Dong Xuan, Tuy An, and Phu Mo… The unit also provided 1.6 tons of vegetables to the Provincial Military Command, transported 6,000 boxes of instant noodles, 400 kg of dried food, 100 boxes of water, 500 gift packages, 1,000 boxes of milk, and many other necessities to isolated areas. After the floodwaters receded, the forces focused on cleaning up schools, health stations, and offices, disinfecting the environment, and rebuilding houses for the people.

Border guards and other authorities worked through the night to conduct rescue operations in Buon Don border commune. Photo: Q.Anh

According to the Dak Lak Border Guard, during the concentrated effort to overcome the consequences of the floods in the eastern part of the province, the unit mobilized nearly 400 officers and soldiers, 11 vehicles, and 7 canoes to coordinate the relocation of people and property to safe areas, repair houses, clean up the environment, and reinforce areas at risk of landslides. The force participated in relocating 404 households with 1,719 people to safe areas; cleaned up for 80 households and 12 primary schools; and cleared 35 km of inter-village and inter-commune roads blocked by mud; while also arranging for 22 households with 145 people to be evacuated to border guard posts.

“During critical days of storms and floods, 100% of border guards must be on duty, staying in their assigned areas 24/7. No matter how difficult or arduous the circumstances, the border guards are determined to be a solid support, standing side-by-side with the people to overcome natural disasters.”

Colonel Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command, Commander of the Provincial Border Guard.

At the relief campaign launch ceremony, Colonel Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command and Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command, praised the proactive and decisive spirit of the officers and soldiers; and called on the entire force to uphold the tradition of "mutual support and compassion". At the ceremony, officers and soldiers donated over 50 million VND. Previously, the Provincial Border Guard had allocated 175 million VND to support 7 grassroots units in responding to the floods; and mobilized 1,051 boxes of instant noodles, 47 boxes of clean water, 1.5 tons of rice, 68 boxes of clothes and blankets, 3,000 sticky rice cakes, 3,000 boiled eggs, 700 gift packages, 158 boxes of milk, sausages, candies, and hundreds of other essential supplies to the flood-affected areas.

The Tuy Hoa Border Guard Station continues to reinforce its forces to assist in supplying essential goods to the people in the three wards of Phu Yen, Tuy Hoa, and Binh Kien.

According to statistics from the Military District Staff, on November 22 alone, the Army mobilized all its resources to ensure the well-being of the people: 15 tons of dried food were urgently released from warehouses; 20,000 welfare gift bags; 50 tons of rice, 10,000 boxes of instant noodles, along with thousands of liters of fish sauce and cooking oil, were delivered to the flooded areas.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/thoi-su/202511/ngay-dem-vuot-lu-tong-luc-cuu-dan-4811295/