The troops, regardless of danger, waded in the mud in a hope to partly ease the pain of the great loss there.
Terrifying landslide
Until now, those who luckily survived from the landslide could not imagine how the small village was heavily-devastated in a second. Standing in front of the red muddy water, Hoang Van Diep, Head of the village, was still in shock. “There have been floods here before, but never as terrible as this time. After just an explosion, millions of cubic meters of rock and soil flattened the small village, sweeping away 37 households with 158 people into Vang Kheo stream,” he said in a choked voice.
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Troops of Division 316, Military Region 2 join hands with functional forces to search for the missing in the devastating landslide in Nu village, Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province. |
Since the flash flood occurred, Hoang Thi Soi had been standing on the stream bank, crying. The flood claimed four lives in her family. Her son, trapped under a tree and seriously injured, has been hospitalized. Meanwhile, in a daze, Sam Van Bong still didn’t seem to understand what happened. In the morning, he went to his relatives' house, and when he returned home in the afternoon, his wife, two children and one grandchild were gone. His eyes were sunken and staring blankly at the mud area like a soulless person.
Returning from Lao Cai city, Hoang Thi Phong could not believe in her eyes. Her voice choked up because she did not know where her husband was lying in that pile of rock and mud. Her house, newly built in 2022, had no trace left.
Regarding the disaster relief, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Trinh Xuan Cuong said that the losses were huge. The locality promptly carried out search and rescue activities and gave assistance to local people. The official hoped for joint efforts from functional agencies in this relief to soon stabilize local people’s life.
Rescue efforts
The route from Bao Yen district to Nu village was hindered by landslides, falling rocks and falling trees. To reach the village, armed forces from Military Region 2 had to clear landslide areas. The Command Post for the SAR efforts is placed at the village’s Cultural House-Community Study Center. Commanding the relief effort, Lt. Gen. Pham Hong Chuong, Commanding General of Military Region 2, emphasized that troops perform the mission with their highest capability. Military troops are the key in the effort. They have coordinated with functional forces to promptly search for the missing and ensure necessities for local people, particularly relatives of the victims.
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Military Region 2’s armed forces continue searching for the victims of the landslide. |
Reportedly, Military Region 2 has sent 300 officers and soldiers to Phuc Khanh commune: 100 troops searching for the victims along Nu stream from the Chay River direction, the remainder performing the mission at the landslide area. Attentively, militia troops from Bao Yen district, Yen Bai province and some 300 others have also joined the SAR efforts.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Ba, Head of Regiment 98, Military Region 2’s Division 316, right after receiving superior’s order, the unit deployed personnel, vehicles, and materials to the scene. The mapping and encircling the area were made, tasks were assigned to each team. All exerted all-out efforts, racing against time.
It was still raining in the landslide area, putting the SAR work at risk. However, with the aim of relieving great pain of local people, troops from Military Region 2 and relevant forces have doubled and tripled their efforts to conduct the “combat mission in peace-time.” In life jackets and with bare foot, troops groped in the sticky and fishy mud, but no one bothered. First Private Lu Van Truong, a soldier from Company 6, Battalion 8, Regiment 98, Division 316 said, “The losses facing people of Nu village are huge. My comrades and I do our utmost to ease the pain of the compatriots.” Truong stressed that despite hardships, all are ready to get into difficult area for the search.
The search for the victims continues to be carried out fiercely by the armed forces in the spirit of serving the people. Together with the SAR efforts, units also inquire after and give timely support to the families of the victims.
Translated by Mai Huong