Thuong Duc struggles to rebuild when flood piles up on flood

ĐNO - The consequences of the heavy rain from October 25 to 29 have not yet been overcome, but the area of ​​Thuong Duc commune continues to be flooded widely. The situation will become more difficult on November 3 when a new flood continues to come. Local authorities are implementing response work, minimizing damage and ensuring that people do not go hungry during the flood.

A corner of Hoi Khach Dong village in disarray after the floods from October 25 to 19. Photo: HO QUAN

Have to move again...

Right after the previous flood, when the mud was still everywhere, we approached group 1, Hoi Khach Dong village - the most severely damaged place in Thuong Duc commune. Before our eyes was a heartbreaking image: the village was devastated, houses and gardens were submerged in mud. Rice, televisions, refrigerators, vehicles, beds and cabinets... were swept away by the water, lying haphazardly on the river bank.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong (Hoi Khach Dong village) shared: “No one had time to react. The flood rose very quickly, I only had time to raise the washing machine, refrigerator, TV and put rice in the attic and then hurriedly went to take shelter... But when I returned, my face was pale, the flood swept away all my belongings. After the flood, I was left empty-handed.”

Vehicles buried in mud. Photo: CONG TU

Mr. Le Vinh Thach said that Hoi Khach Dong village is located right next to Vu Gia river, so the flood water poured in suddenly, sweeping through the village, carrying a large amount of mud and soil. Immediately after the big flood, the river water continued to rise, reaching the roofs of houses. Furniture was half swept away, half submerged in water. When the water receded, people returned to see only a huge amount of mud and soil strewn from inside the house to the yard.

“We cleaned three times, but we really didn’t have enough strength. We could only get the mud out of the house’s foundation to use it temporarily. The part outside the yard that was more than 5 inches thick was unbearable because the mud was so tightly packed that we couldn’t dig or push it away,” Mr. Thach shared.

Leaders of Thuong Duc commune visited and encouraged people affected by floods. Photo: HO QUAN

Mr. Le Minh Thuc, Head of Hoi Khach Dong village, informed that during the flood from October 25 to 29, about 80% of the total 332 households in the village were affected. All 167 households in group 1 suffered heavy damage, of which about 50 households lost everything. Many households were flooded more than 3m deep, and property in the attic was also damaged.

“People had just finished cleaning their houses when the floodwaters returned, flooding the residential areas along the river again. People continued to raise their properties and move to safe shelters. The most worrying thing is that the riverbank erosion is getting more and more serious, only 5-10m away from people's houses...”, Mr. Thuc informed.

[ VIDEO ] - Damage caused by floods in Hoi Khach Dong village after the floods from October 25-29:

Full support for people

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Thuong Duc commune, during the previous flood, the whole commune had 4 houses collapsed, had their roofs blown off, and 4,351 houses were flooded, of which 1,243 were flooded under 1m, and 3,108 were flooded from 1 to 3m.

In addition, 8 schools, along with the Regional Clinic A and Dai Hung Medical Station, were deeply flooded, and many properties and equipment were damaged. Traffic, irrigation, and property of residents and businesses were also severely damaged. Preliminary statistics show that the total damage is estimated at more than 130 billion VND.

People struggled to clean up mud after the flood. Photo: CONG TU

Mr. Phan Trung Phi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Duc Commune, said that after the flood, the local government carried out a general cleaning in the entire area, mobilizing all cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers of agencies, schools, medical stations and units located in the area to participate. The army of Division 315, Military Region 5 and city police units supported cleaning at schools, medical stations and houses in the villages.

“We have asked the City People’s Committee to urgently support the locality with about 5,000 boxes of instant noodles, 10,000 bottles of mineral water, 10,000 cartons of milk, and 50 tons of rice to solve the food shortage for the people. At the same time, we will support 4 more chemical sprayers and 4 tons of chemicals to disinfect, sterilize, protect the environment, and kill pathogens,” said Mr. Phi.

On November 3, Thuong Duc Commune police continued to carry out rescue work as floodwaters rose again in many places. Photo: Provided by Thuong Duc Commune People's Committee

While the damage from the previous flood has not yet been completely repaired, from the afternoon of November 2 to November 3, the Thuong Duc commune was again deeply flooded, with some places being flooded over 2 meters deep. Hundreds of houses were again "submerged" in water.

Mr. Phan Trung Phi said that the local authorities are continuing to monitor the flood situation and urgently evacuate people in low-lying areas to safe places. At the same time, they are promoting the capacity of local forces to ensure that people do not go hungry or lack clean water during the flood days. The work of overcoming the consequences and calculating the damage will be carried out synchronously as soon as the water recedes.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/thuong-duc-gian-nan-tai-thiet-khi-lu-chong-lu-3309075.html