Engineers of Brigade 414 use explosives to break rocks at Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant.

At 4:00 a.m. on October 22, receiving orders from the Forward Command PostMilitary Region 4 Command,A main Engineering force of Military Region 4, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hung - Deputy Chief of Staff of Engineering Brigade 414, quickly moved from Quang Tri to Thua Thien - Hue to carry out the task of blasting rocks, clearing the way to Rao Trang 3, and searching for missing workers.

Determined to clear Route 71 by any means, to bring forces and vehicles to Rao Trang 3 to search for the missing victims. Receiving orders from the Military Region 4 Command, the 414th Engineer Brigade urgently dispatched a mobile force by road from Quang Tri (where soldiers were helping the locality open roads to some communes isolated by floods in Huong Hoa district) to Huong Tra (Thua Thien - Hue). Here, officers and soldiers marched 20km by boat and canoe, following the waterway to enter Rao Trang 4 Hydropower Plant.

The 414th Engineer Brigade's blasting team transported explosives, materials, and equipment by boat to Rao Trang 3. Photo: Tran Sam

At Rao Trang 4, they were met by the Brigade's advance force, who guided them to the landslide site to break rocks to open the road. After surveying the terrain and choosing the drilling and blasting method, this morning, the Engineers began placing the first drills. Today's weather was quite favorable for the troops to carry out their mission.

Recently, due to heavy rain, many serious landslides have appeared on the main road 71 leading to Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant. A large rock weighing over 40 tons has fallen down, blocking road 71, about 8km from Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant (where the workers were buried), making it impossible for vehicles to pass for rescue. In addition to the above landslide, recorded at the scene, on road 71 from Rao Trang 4 Hydropower Plant toMoon Fence 3There are still some major landslides. Currently, the rescue forces of the Ministry, Military Region 4 and Thua Thien - Hue province are doing their best to overcome the landslides.

Surveying the location of the large rock blocking Highway 71 to Rao Trang 3. Photo: Tran Sam

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hung - Deputy Chief of Staff of the 414th Engineer Brigade said: "Receiving the assigned mission of the Military Region, we thoroughly grasped and deployed the mission, selected officers and soldiers with good health, proficient in drilling and blasting techniques, quickly mobilized to the scene, determined to break rocks, open roads, and clear the route in the shortest time, so that the forces could promptly mobilize to search for the missing workers at Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant."

It is known that 59 officers and soldiers of the 414th Engineering Brigade have just completed the search and rescue mission at the Bo River Ranger Station andEconomic - Defense Group 337(Military Region 4), currently gathering at Division 968 (Quang Tri), ready to await orders. Previously, on October 21, the Brigade force led by Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thanh - Deputy Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff, coordinated with the working group of Military Region 4 to conduct reconnaissance, find ways to open roads, build bridges, so that rescue forces can supply food to communes isolated by floods in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province.

Engineer soldiers drill the first drills to break the rock. Photo: Tran Sam

Having just completed the field reconnaissance mission, with affection and responsibility towards the people, the officers and soldiers of the Brigade set out to take on a new mission, with the determination to "open the way to go", "clear the way to advance", worthy of the tradition of "Opening the way to victory" of the heroic Engineer Corps on the front of natural disaster prevention and search and rescue./.