Lives after storm
Though Storm Kalmaegi has passed, its tragic aftermath still lingers in coastal villages of the province. Hundreds of roofs were blown away, thousands of houses were submerged, and farms and ponds lay in ruins.
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Tran Van Phuoc’s house has its roof blown off, with many trees in the garden broken and fallen. |
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Major General Luong Dinh Chung encourages Tran Van Phuoc’s family to overcome their loss. |
On November 8 morning, a reporter from the People’s Army Newspaper arrived at Chanh Loc village, Xuan Loc commune, where the house of Tran Van Phuoc was left in shambles. He stood silently beside the broken window frame, where his mother-in-law, Nguyen Thi Say, perished while rushing out to retrieve belongings as a coconut tree uprooted and fell. “The rain was heavy, the water rose fast. My mother went outside to grab some things; the coconut tree suddenly fell. She didn’t make it…,” Phuoc said tearfully. The house was cold and damp, and the family’s hollow eyes reflected a night of struggle and grief.
Head of Chanh Loc village Nguyen Huu Hung said, “We received the bad news in the middle of the night. Roads were cut off, so we had to rely on boats to report to authorities. Everyone was shocked, but we had to encourage each other to stay strong.”
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The Military Region 5 Command presents gifts to Lam Tuong My’s family on November 8 morning. |
Lam Tuong My, a former soldier of Brigade 162 under Naval Region 4, whose house was completely destroyed, said emotionally that though he lost everything, the soldiers and neighbors came to help and gave gifts, helping warm his heart.
According to Chairman of Xuan Loc Commune People’s Committee Le Dong Quan, by 5 p.m. on November 7, the commune had one death and 166 damaged houses, including 12 heavily-damaged ones. The storm washed away four boats and twelve basket boats, destroyed more than 70% of aquaculture areas, with losses exceeding VND 11 billion. Roads, lighting system, trees, schools, and offices were heavily damaged, with total estimated losses nearing VND 44 billion (excluding housing damage).
Efforts to help residents
Song Cau ward of Dak Lak province was also seriously affected. Strong winds and prolonged rain injured two people, collapsed 13 houses, flooded over 1,000 homes up to 1.5 meters deep, and blew away hundreds of roofs. Roads were blocked by soil and rocks, and nine kilometers of electrical lines were downed.
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Soldiers and local forces clean up Xuan Loc 1 Primary School. |
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Soldiers and militia members move an electric pole to the roadside. |
Immediately after the storm, troops from the Defensive Area Command Region 1-Song Cau, Infantry Regiment 888, together with local militia, police forces, and local organizations, quickly spread out to residential areas, schools, and blocked routes to assist residents.
Covered in mud, the soldiers worked tirelessly. They cut trees, cleared earth, re-roofed homes, and salvaged damaged belongings. Captain Le Van Phi, Second-in-Command of Company 1, Battalion 85, Regiment 888, said, “Seeing people suffer makes us want to help even more, that makes us feel so heartwarming. Locals really appreciate us and keep encouraging us to keep on helping them resume to normality soon.”
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The Military Region 5 Command presents gifts to forces and Xuan Loc 1 Primary School. |
Over the past days, Political Commissar of the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command Senior Colonel Dinh Van Hung oversaw, directed and encouraged the troops and residents. He said that thousands of officers, soldiers, and militia members were mobilized to assist people in recovering from the disaster, focusing on schools, hospitals, policy beneficiary families, poor households, and the elderly to help life return to normal as soon as possible.
During his inspections at Xuan Loc commune and Song Cau ward, Political Commissar of Military Region 5 Major General Luong Dinh Chung praised troops and other forces for their responsibility and timely and prompt disaster relief support. He urged them to assist people as quickly as possible, working through every spare moment with the highest determination.
Translated by Mai Huong