People in flood-affected areas maintain a spirit of sharing.

Heavy rains combined with rising river levels have submerged many communes in Lang Son province, such as Thien Tan, Yen Binh, That Khe, Trang Dinh, Huu Lung, and Van Nham, in a "sea of ​​water".

After more than three days, many roads, villages, and hamlets along the riverbanks and in low-lying areas of the communes are still flooded. The lives, daily activities, and transportation of the people are extremely difficult. Local Party committees, authorities, armed forces, political and social organizations, and philanthropists are working together to support and assist the people in the flooded areas, ensuring that no one goes hungry or cold.

Humanity in times of hardship

Hundreds of charitable organizations and individuals have headed to the flood-stricken area of ​​Lang Son to provide essential supplies to the people. Photo: Van Dat/TTXVN

Van Nham is one of the most severely flooded communes in Lang Son province during this flood. The commune has 30 villages, over 4,300 households, and more than 19,490 inhabitants. This historic flood has left 14 villages deeply submerged, isolated, and cut off. The majority of households in the flooded villages have had to evacuate their homes for safety.

According to observations by a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporter in Van Nham commune, the "main artery," Provincial Road 242, leading into the commune, was flooded to an average depth of about 2 meters on October 7th and 8th, with some areas nearly 3 meters deep. By the afternoon of October 10th, some sections were still deeply submerged. Many villages along the Trung River, in low-lying areas, were still extensively flooded. The only means of reaching the residents was by boat or raft.

The commune's People's Committee headquarters, the Military Command, and several schools and gas stations were also flooded, especially with widespread power outages affecting both flooded and unflooded areas. Many places lacked phone and internet signals, making it difficult to direct and carry out tasks.

Due to the rapid and high rise of floodwaters, many households were caught off guard. Valuable possessions inside their homes, as well as rice and crops ready for harvest in the fields, were submerged. Although the Vân Nham commune authorities have not yet compiled statistics on property damage, it is certain that the damage to property in the 14 flooded and isolated villages is substantial. Many households are currently unable to secure their own food, drinking water, and water for daily use and are temporarily relying on relief efforts.

Despite the extreme hardship, in the flooded villages, the residents still demonstrated a spirit of solidarity and mutual support. Families with multi-story houses offered rooms to those whose homes were completely submerged and who had nowhere else to stay.

In recent days, Tra Linh Restaurant in Huu Lung commune, Lang Son province, has mobilized all its staff to cooperate with local people in cooking more than 1,000 free meals each day to distribute to flood victims.

Especially during times of hardship and disaster, the spirit of community solidarity and sharing is fostered and amplified. People in flood-affected areas share meals and bottles of water with each other. When rescue teams pass by, those in need only ask for and receive what they need. They don't keep their own household items but give them to those in greater need or with more urgent requirements.

Mr. Duong Van Tung, a resident of Dong Khu village, Van Nham commune, shared that at 31 years old, he had never witnessed such a major flood. His family of four only managed to salvage a few personal belongings and clothes; their television, furniture, and appliances were all submerged. Since July 2025, the commune has experienced two floods, but they were not as deep and receded quickly, so this time the residents were somewhat caught off guard and complacent.

Mr. Duong Ba Ngoc, from Ben Cat village, Van Nham commune, sadly recounted: "The water started flooding into our house and quickly rose to over 2 meters from October 7th. Nearly 3 tons of cement and all our family's belongings couldn't be moved in time. The water hasn't receded for several days, so our family's food reserves have run out, and we have to ask for drinking water, rice, and noodles from the relief team. Even so, he and the villagers here still maintain a spirit of sharing, those who lack less giving to those who lack more. Everyone asks for what they need, not more, they ask to save for later..."

Spirit of serving the people

Goods are being transported by boat to villages severely affected by flooding in Van Nham commune, Lang Son province.

Thanks to the sense of responsibility, dedication, and people-oriented spirit of the Party committees, government at all levels, and local armed forces, the people's requests for rescue and assistance were basically met in a timely manner. No one had to endure the hardship of sleeping outdoors during the recent floods.

Over the past few days, local rescue forces have poured all their efforts into the work, wading through floodwaters all day to bring food, water, and essential supplies to the people. The homes of some officers and soldiers were flooded, but as soon as they arranged accommodation for their families, they immediately joined their comrades to rescue the people.

Having immersed himself in floodwaters for several consecutive days to deliver relief supplies to the people, Chu Van Binh, Commander of the Van Nham Commune Military Command, developed flu-like symptoms. However, he did not rest, continuing to go from street to street, from house to house, distributing relief supplies, hoping that no one would go without food or go hungry.

Mr. Binh said that currently, all military, militia, and commune police forces are focusing their efforts on relief work for the people. Many relief teams are heading towards the flooded Van Nham area. Unit officers, in coordination with other forces, will deliver all goods and necessities to the people as quickly as possible. Once the water recedes, the unit will continue to help the people clean up the environment and rebuild their lives.

Nong Van Tien, a militia member from Van Nham commune, said: "On October 7th and 8th, the water level reached 2-3 meters, making transporting goods extremely difficult. The boats were full and heavy, and the men couldn't sit on them; they had to cling to the sides, swimming and pushing the boats along. In some villages along the Trung River, we tried to reach them, but the strong current prevented small boats from passing. We had to report to the commune and request the provincial armed forces to send larger boats for assistance. Every day we were immersed in water, our clothes soaked, but when the people had food and water, the men in our unit were very happy and continued to encourage each other to strive to complete our mission well, worthy of the people's trust and love."

The family of Ngo Van Tuyen, a militia member from Van Nham commune, had their house in Het village flooded by more than 1 meter. The entire family of five had to move to stay with relatives, but as soon as he arranged accommodation for his wife and children, he and his comrades went back to the flooded area to help the villagers. According to Tuyen, this is not just a job, but also a matter of affection and responsibility towards the people and his homeland.

In recent days, despite the difficult access to the flooded areas of Lang Son province, convoys of relief vehicles loaded with goods and essential supplies have been heading towards the flood-affected people.

Essential supplies were delivered directly to the flood-affected people in Lang Son by the armed forces and charitable organizations.

The marks left by the floodwaters on the walls and trees will fade over time. However, it is certain that the floods have left extremely severe consequences, and it will be a long time before the people in these areas can recover and heal. For now, the people in the deeply flooded areas are hoping the water will recede quickly so they can return home and rebuild their lives.

According to reports from communes in Lang Son province, the floods caused 3 injuries; approximately 5,100 households had their homes affected; of which, 10 houses collapsed, 2,158 houses were flooded, 2,577 houses were isolated, 249 houses were affected by landslides, and 55 houses were at risk of landslides. Widespread flooding occurred in the communes of Yen Binh, Van Nham, Huu Lung, Tuan Son, Cai Kinh, That Khe, Trang Dinh, Quoc Viet, etc.

Throughout the province, over 3,890 hectares of rice paddies and more than 1,000 hectares of other crops were flooded; 9 educational institutions were affected; and 668 sections of roads were damaged by landslides and flooding. Many bridges, culverts, and roads were partially flooded, with over 50,160 cubic meters of soil eroded; 29 power poles were broken or submerged, causing widespread power outages and telecommunication disruptions. The total estimated damage is over 1,050 billion VND.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/nguoi-dan-vung-lu-giu-tinh-than-se-chia-20251010201533202.htm