PANO – The lives of locals in Ban Khoang commune, Sa Pa district, Lao Cai province, which was seriously hit by the record flash floods and landslides with dozens of deaths and injuries and huge losses of property on September 4th, 2013 has basically returned to normal after four months of recovery.

The serious consequences of the September flash floods and landslides prevented most students of Ban Khoang 1 Primary and Secondary School from attending school as their parents feared that the disaster might happen again. The school’s teachers had to come to each house to persuade and encourage the students to come back to school. The teachers’ efforts paid off as 90% of Dao and H’mong ethnic students in the commune were present at the school on the academic year opening ceremony. 

Mr. Chao Phu Chan, Chairman of Ban Khoang commune People’s Committee, said that the locality spent hundreds of millions of Dong to build houses for local people in safer locations.

“Thanks to the local authorities’ and benefactors’ assistance, I could rebuild my damaged house on the area of 72s.qm”, said Mr. Chao Duan Phu in Can Ho A hamlet, whose 8 relatives luckily survived the floods and landslides.

With the concern and assistance of local authorities and benefactors, the lives of local people in reviving Ban Khoang commune could return to normal. They are now happy to prepare for the coming Tet (Lunar New Year), laughter is everywhere in the locality.

Translated by Tran Hoai