In the face of danger, soldiers and civilians have once again stood “shoulder to shoulder,” working tirelessly to reinforce sea dikes, clear blocked roads, and deliver food and essential supplies to isolated communities. The image of “barefoot soldiers with steel resolve,” braving storms to protect the people, has deeply moved residents in the flood-hit areas.
Provincial Road 673 and the ATK trail connecting National Road 14 and Ngoc Linh commune of Quang Ngai Province suffered dozens of major landslides, completely cutting off several villages, including Ngoc Nang, Mo Po, Xa Ua, Ngoc Lang, and Tu Rang. Nearly 400 households, mostly of the Xo Dang ethnic group, were left isolated atop Ngoc Linh mountain.
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Militiamen from Ngoc Linh commune of Quang Ngai Province build a temporary bridge to deliver relief supplies to villages isolated by floods and landslides. |
To reach them, more than 300 officers and soldiers from Regiment 24 under Division 10 of Army Corps 34, the Defensive Area Command Region 2-Po Y, and the Ngoc Linh Commune Military Command joined hundreds of local volunteers to clear roads and transport relief goods. After a week of drilling through rock and clearing debris under harsh conditions, the troops managed to open a temporary route stretching several dozen kilometers and build four bamboo bridges to carry relief supplies to mountainous areas. At the final staging point in Xa Ua village, Party Secretary of Ngoc Linh commune A Phuong emotionally said, “The first convoys from the Ministry of National Defense and Military Region 5 are on their way. Food and medicine will soon reach every village.”
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Officers and soldiers from the Defensive Area Command Region 2-Po Y work with residents to clear landslides to transport relief goods to Ngoc Linh commune. |
In Da Nang city, continuous rain and strong waves have caused severe erosion along An Bang dike in Hoi An Tay ward and the An Luong dike in Duy Nghia commune. In some areas, water has encroached nearly 30 meters inland, threatening the lives and property of thousands of residents living along the Thu Bon River and coastal areas.
Nearly 1,000 officers, soldiers, Youth Union members, and local residents have been mobilized to strengthen the dike system. As the weather cleared on November 3, hundreds of soldiers waded chest-deep in cold water along one-kilometer An Bang dike, driving wooden and steel stakes to form a foundation. As soon as one section was completed, rock cages and sandbags were dropped to reinforce it. Workers continuously took turns to maintain progress despite exhaustion. Within hours, thousands of sandbags and hundreds of steel stakes were in place.
Corporal Y Khanh Bya from Battalion 2 of Regiment 143 under Division 315 said, “There are deep holes under the water where concrete slabs broke apart. Falling into them can be dangerous. Some of us have cuts from sharp shells and metal, but we’re determined to keep working until the dike is secure.”
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Troops of Division 315 under Military Region 5 and local residents reinforce An Bang dike in Hoi An Tay commune, Da Nang city. |
At nearby An Luong dike, soldiers fought against strong waves to stabilize weakened sections. Like resilient embankments standing firm amidst storms, the officers and soldiers of Military Region 5 and local units continue to embody the spirit of “sacrificing for the people,” always ready to be where danger is greatest to protect lives and property, helping preserve peace and stability in Vietnam’s Central region.
Translated by Tran Hoai