Urgent flood cleanup

Since the floodwaters arrived, the alarm schedules of units such as the Military School of Military Region 5, the 32nd Reconnaissance Battalion, the 409th Special Forces Battalion (Military Region 5 Headquarters), and the Command of Defense Area 1 - Cam Le, Regiment 971 (Da Nang City Military Command) were adjusted 30 minutes earlier than usual to give soldiers more time to mobilize and assist the people. Early on the morning of October 31st, after having a quick breakfast of bread and steamed buns, the soldiers quickly fanned out to the communes and wards of Hoa Tien, Hoa Vang, Hoa Khanh, Ba Na, Dien Ban Tay, Ngu Hanh Son... to join hands with teachers in collecting mud and debris, cleaning up, repairing desks, chairs, and learning materials, and preparing to welcome students back to school.

Soldiers are helping Tran Quoc Tuan Secondary School overcome the consequences of the floods.

At Tran Quoc Tuan Secondary School (Hoa Vang, Da Nang ), the floodwaters have receded considerably, but are still above knee level. After nearly four hours of busy and urgent work, the soldiers collected nearly 200 cubic meters of mud and debris, sweeping and cleaning all 26 classrooms, activity rooms, the dining area, kitchen, and playground on the first floor. The desks, chairs, filing cabinets, and documents that the teachers had moved to the second and third floors to avoid the flood last weekend were also carried down by the soldiers and neatly arranged as they were before.

Looking at the student desks and chairs that were submerged in mud yesterday, now cleaned and tidied by soldiers and militia before being placed back in the classrooms, Mr. Cap Phi Ha, Principal of Tran Quoc Tuan Secondary School, expressed his gratitude: “The floodwaters rose so quickly that we couldn’t react in time. This morning, when I came to school and saw the chaotic scene, with mud filling the classrooms, I honestly didn’t know where to begin. But now, the school is spotless. Without the help of the soldiers, it would have taken much longer for the school to return to normal.”

Militia soldiers and trainees from the Military School of Military Region 5 helped schools in Hoa Vang commune clear mud and debris after the historic flood.

With the support and assistance of the army and militia, on October 31st, nearly 100 schools, over 1,800 households, and 118 village communal houses and cultural centers in Da Nang and Quang Ngai were cleaned and renovated. According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van No, Head of the Engineering Corps of the Da Nang City Military Command, and the officer in charge of assisting the people in Xuan Phu commune: During the recent historic floods, village communal houses and cultural centers served as safe shelters, saving hundreds of people from home. Therefore, in addition to hospitals, schools, and offices, these locations were also prioritized for early cleaning by the army.

Having soldiers around makes things safer!

On the afternoon of October 31st, after an emergency surgery lasting nearly two hours, Dr. Tran Do Nhan, Director of the Duy Xuyen Regional Medical Center (Da Nang), rushed down to the courtyard to say goodbye and express his gratitude to the officers and soldiers of Regiment 143 (Division 315, Military Region 5). Holding the hand of Private Y Thiep Kpa, a soldier from the 100mm Mortar Company, and other young soldiers, Dr. Nhan said emotionally: “On behalf of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors, the doctors of the Center, and the patients being treated here, I sincerely thank the officers and soldiers of Regiment 143 for their attentive and thoughtful care and assistance. In this critical time, with so much work to do, having the soldiers here to help gives us great peace of mind.”

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 143 carried out a general cleanup of the grounds of the Duy Xuyen Regional Medical Center.

Opening his phone to show us photos of the "scene" after the floodwaters receded, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trung Hung, Deputy Commander of Regiment 143, said: "When we arrived, the medical center's grounds were in disarray like a battlefield. Mud, garbage, and branches carried by the floodwaters filled the patient rooms on the first floor. The corridors and staircases on the upper floors were also covered in mud. Given this situation, the unit divided into teams, each with three people, to clean one room, working from top to bottom."

Doctor Tran Do Nhan shared: “In recent days, due to the heavy rain and flooding, the number of inpatients at the Center has increased dramatically, sometimes reaching over 300 people, making the doctors and nurses work very hard. Fortunately, before the floodwaters arrived, we managed to evacuate all patients and equipment from the first floor to the upper floors, so no unfortunate incidents occurred. However, the amount of mud in the wards is enormous, in some places as thick as a hand's width. If the soldiers hadn't come to reinforce and help, it would probably have taken us a whole week to fix it.”

Coming from Quang Tri to support the people of Da Nang in fighting the floods, in recent days, officers and soldiers of Battalion 33 (198th Special Forces Brigade, Special Forces Corps) have also been constantly stationed at "hot spots" in Dien Ban Bac and Dien Ban Tay, directly rescuing and evacuating hundreds of people from the raging floodwaters. The truck carrying the troops serves as the "headquarters" for these soldiers who are all too familiar with hardship and difficulty. After the flood recedes, they are busy again helping the people overcome the consequences.

With the timely support and assistance of agencies and units under the Armed Forces of Military Region 5 and other military units in the area, the lives of millions of people in the flood-stricken central region are gradually returning to normal.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/nuoc-rut-den-dau-giup-dan-den-do-994864