Efforts to clear roads in landslide-affected areas.

Addressing landslide at Km 372+900 on Ho Chi Minh Highway through A Luoi 4 commune.

Racing against the rain on a remote mountain road.

The heavy late afternoon rain in the mountainous region made the Ho Chi Minh Highway through the areas of A Roàng, Lâm Đớt, and Đông Sơn (now A Lưới 4 commune) even more desolate, just like the names of these areas suggest. Having received the weather forecast from the city's meteorological station predicting continued heavy rain in the coming days, the team of road-clearing and patching workers from the A Roàng Road Management Unit ( Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company) hurried even more amidst the afternoon downpour.

Taking advantage of the rain's lull amidst the forest canopy along the trail, workers prepared their shovels and picks to clear drainage ditches, remove debris from the road surface, and clear fallen trees to improve visibility for vehicles. At the beginning of the route, where a landslide occurred at Km 366+150 of the Ho Chi Minh Highway at slope A5 (A Chi village, A Luoi 4 commune), the roar of excavators echoed through the forest as they cleared thousands of cubic meters of soil from the road. It is estimated that thousands of cubic meters of soil and rocks have been excavated and leveled over the past few days to reveal the trail.

Present at the scene, Mr. Hoang Le Anh Dung, Head of the A Roang Road Management Unit, said through the heavy rain: “We need to make the most of today (November 1st), because tomorrow the heavy rain will start, and it is absolutely essential to open one lane for vehicles to pass. If we let our team work in the pouring rain, with the hilltop hanging like a waterlogged ‘mudbag’ above our heads, we wouldn’t feel at ease because it’s very dangerous.” Having worked at the A Roang road management unit for decades, Mr. Dung knows the Ho Chi Minh Highway through the A Luoi region like the back of his hand. There were times when heavy rains caused landslides that cut off access for days, and communication was intermittent. Mr. Dung and his team had to walk dozens of kilometers along the trails to identify each landslide point, its size, and location in order to report back to the company and develop a plan for remediation.

Workers from Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company are clearing soil and rocks that have spilled onto the road.

The story of the occupational accident involving road repair workers after the floods in Dong Giang (formerly Quang Nam province) continues to resurface this morning, but it hasn't discouraged the "road clearing and patching" team in A Roang. Also on this road, an excavator clearing landslides on the Ho Chi Minh Highway through Dong Giang narrowly avoided being buried by falling rocks and soil from the hillside; fortunately, there were no casualties. Upon receiving the news, Mr. Le Anh Dung immediately instructed his team to thoroughly assess the situation at each location to develop appropriate repair plans to quickly reopen the road sections while ensuring the safety of the workers.

Overcoming dozens of landslides.

Mr. Ho Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of A Luoi 4 commune, said that the road management company and local authorities are making efforts to restore traffic and rebuild infrastructure at dozens of landslide points on the Ho Chi Minh Highway and inter-commune and village roads passing through A Luoi 4 commune. However, incessant heavy rain is making the restoration work difficult, prolonged, and dangerous for the task force. During the recent rainy and flood days, there were up to 20 landslide points in the commune, affecting the Ho Chi Minh Highway and inter-commune and residential roads. Among these, 10 landslide points were on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, with the largest one causing traffic congestion at km 366+150, A5 slope, A Chi village, and one point in Aka village, A Roang commune (formerly), with a total volume of nearly 6,000 cubic meters of soil and rocks sliding down from the hill and spilling onto the road surface. Immediately after the landslide occurred, the commune's police force blocked traffic and warned residents and vehicles passing through. Currently, the A Roàng Road Management Unit, in coordination with the A Lưới 4 commune forces, has deployed vehicles and personnel to clear and remove the soil and reopen one lane of the road.

According to the Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company, currently, there is very heavy rain on the Ho Chi Minh Highway through the A Luoi district. Meteorological forecasts predict another period of heavy rain in the Hue area. Landslides are continuing to occur, posing a safety risk to the rescue team. Furthermore, this is the only access route, making it impossible to deploy personnel to reach deeper areas to survey and assess the damage.

Immediately after receiving information about landslides on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, the Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company organized and deployed personnel and traffic safety barriers at locations frequently affected by flooding and landslides. A force of 100 workers, along with vehicles and machinery, was mobilized at key points to be ready to participate in flood relief efforts. In particular, repairs are underway at locations on the Ho Chi Minh Highway (Western branch) at Km346+700, Km355+800, Km366+150, and Km385+00. However, due to continued heavy rain, deep flooding, and the continuous occurrence of landslides, it is currently not possible to reopen the road and clear debris to ensure temporary traffic flow.

Heavy rains are falling on the Ho Chi Minh Highway through the A Luoi region, posing a very high risk of further landslides.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ny, Deputy General Director of Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company, said that the company has deployed personnel to ensure traffic flow, reroute traffic, and install warning barriers at all key locations affected by flooding and landslides. However, some difficulties remain due to prolonged heavy rain and deep flooding in many areas, causing traffic disruptions and preventing motorized vehicles from accessing the scene. Many landslides have occurred, with large volumes of soil and rocks spilling onto the road surface, completely covering the road and causing traffic congestion on several sections, mainly on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, estimated at over 50 locations with a volume exceeding 150,000 m³.

The area's terrain is fragmented, the soil is weak, and there is a potential risk of further landslides, posing a safety hazard to people and equipment. High water volume and strong currents cause erosion and washout of soil and rocks, leading to landslides on the embankment at many points, hindering reinforcement and temporary remediation efforts. Bad weather affects visibility and the operation of machinery, leading to occupational safety risks. Some areas experience power outages and localized communication disruptions, interrupting on-site command and control. Therefore, the Hue City Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company is restricting traffic on the Ho Chi Minh Highway during the current heavy rain period.

Forecasts indicate that from the evening of October 31st to the evening of November 2nd, Hue City will experience heavy rain again. Total rainfall in the plains will generally range from 150-300mm, with some areas exceeding 400mm; mountainous areas will receive 200-400mm, with some areas exceeding 500mm. With the forecast of continued heavy rain in mountainous areas, the risk of further landslides is very high on transportation routes as the soil is already saturated with water. Local authorities are implementing plans to evacuate residents from key landslide-prone areas to ensure their safety.