At noon on September 16, we met Ly Van Ha, a resident of Thai Giang village, Nam Luc commune, Bac Ha district by the bank of the Chay River. The weight of the sack of rice on his back forced him to lean forward as far as possible to keep his balance. He also held two boxes of instant noodles under his armpits. Having a break on the road, Ha said that the landslide in Ban Cai hamlet, Nam Tong village, Nam Luc commune left 18 people dead and injured. Local households were still isolated after the flood. Thus, militia troops like him were exerting efforts, together with military troops and functional forces, to assist local people in overcoming the consequences.
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Militia troops of Nam Luc commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province transport food supplies to flood-hit victims. |
Although his family suffered damage due to the flood, his wife and children had to stay at a neighbor's house, as Ha still promoted his responsibility, putting aside his personal affairs and joining other militia troops to actively help flood-hit people. Looking at his bare feet trying to climb hills and overcome slopes, everyone showed admiration for the militiaman’s sense of responsibility and enthusiasm.
In Ban Cai hamlet, the sun was about to reach its zenith, but dozens of militia officers and soldiers from Bac Ha district and Regiment 254 under the Lao Cai provincial Military Command were still diligently searching along ravines, turning over concrete slabs and rocks to search for the eight missing people. Militiaman Dang Van Bang, a Thai Giang villager, used a shovel to dig up dirt and a crowbar to lift large rocks in the hope of finding the victims' bodies in the rubble. Although his house was also at risk of collapsing, his family members were timely evacuated to a safe place, so he felt at ease to conduct the search and rescue tasks.
Like head of Thai Giang village’s militia force Ly Van Ha and militiaman Dang Van Bang, militia troops of localities across Lao Cai province gave timely support to local people, moved their property to safer places, and provided the injured with first aid when the flash flood and rains occurred.
Apart from standing side-by-side with military troops, Yen Bai militia force also provided food supplies for disaster-hit people and helped survivors. Truong Thi Hao, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nam Luc commune, highlighted that the militia force is familiar with the areas. When natural disasters occur, they are always the first to arrive, giving recommendations to the local Party Committee and authorities and effectively assisting people.
As assessed by Nam Luc commune’s leader, we witnessed the brave and selfless spirit of local militia troops when they braced the flood to search for and rescue people in Phin Chai 2 village, A Lu commune, Bat Xat district, where a landslide buried seven people. From September 9 to 14, despite prolonged heavy rains and landslides and difficulties in search and rescue operations, militia troops of A Lu commune kept working together with officers and soldiers of Defense-Economic Unit 345 under Military Region 2 to search for the missing. Their efforts were paid off, they found seven victims after five days of missing.
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Nam Luc commune’s militia force join hands in the search for the missing in Ban Cai hamlet, Nam Tong village, Nam Luc commune. |
In Trung Leng Ho and Sang Ma Sao communes in Bat Xat district, right after the flash floods caused two people to go missing on September 9 and 13, militia troops were the first to reach the scenes to evacuate families from dangerous places to safer ones in a timely manner. They also teamed up with other forces to search for the missing and conduct disaster relief.
Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Ha district Nguyen Duy Hoa underlined that militia force plays an important role in conducting the “four on-spots” motto in disaster prevention and control work. This force is always the first to reach the scene to support victims and the last to return home, when flood-hit people have their lives stabilized.
Translated by Mai Huong