Special luggage of Nghe An workers returning from Taiwan on 'rescue' flight due to Covid-19

The "longed for" flights

According to information from the Nghe An Association in Taiwan, from May 29 to now, Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, Vietnam Airlines and Taiwanese authorities have successfully coordinated to organize 6 "rescue" flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back to the country.

On the rescue flight bringing 300 Vietnamese people from Taiwan back home. Photo: Cong Bach

The most recent flight was a special flight named VN 571, operated by Vietnam Airlines, departing from Taoyuan Airport (Taipei, Taiwan) at 3:00 p.m. and arriving at Cam Ranh International Airport (Khanh Hoa) at 5:30 p.m., August 19.

This flight carried more than 290 passengers, who were in especially difficult circumstances, including the elderly, students under 18 years old, workers whose contracts had expired, pregnant women, people with underlying diseases, people with work-related accidents, students who had finished their studies, people traveling, visiting relatives, and other especially difficult cases.

Conduct blood tests for those in quarantine.Photo: Cong Bach

Mr. Nguyen Cong Bach (34 years old), from My Thanh commune (Yen Thanh, Nghe An), who was on the flight, shared: "I have been working in Taiwan for 3 years, my contract has expired, I have been waiting for 5 months, and now I can return. When I heard that my name was on the flight list, I was very excited because I had been waiting for a long time, quite impatient, partly because the epidemic is complicated, so I am very worried."

According to Mr. Bach, the Covid-19 epidemic in Taiwan has significantly affected the livelihoods of Vietnamese people in general and Nghe An people in particular who are working and studying here. Many people want to return home and have been waiting for many months. On this flight, there are about 30 Nghe An people, including workers whose contracts have expired, international students, mothers with young children, etc.

Daily health checks for passengers repatriated from Taiwan at quarantine area.Photo: Cong Bach

The woman carrying the baby is Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh from Khanh Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Ms. Minh married a man from Ha Tinh, and both of them have been in Taiwan for 2 and a half years. In the last months of her pregnancy, she asked to return home on previous flights to give birth, but was not allowed, so she had to stay to give birth, and now she is able to return. Her baby is 1 month old.

With the aim of ensuring the health of citizens and preventing the spread of the epidemic, the airline strictly implemented regulations on security, safety and epidemic hygiene throughout the flight. Immediately after landing at Cam Ranh International Airport, the flight participants were medically monitored and quarantined in accordance with regulations.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh (from Khanh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) and her child in the military quarantine area in Ninh Hoa district, Khanh Hoa province. Photo: Cong Bach.

Mr. Bach added that 292 passengers on the flight were transferred to the quarantine area of ​​Regiment 803, Division 305, Military Region 5. Here, everyone was assigned rooms with guaranteed living conditions. Eating, sleeping, playing, entertainment, and exercising took place normally. Every day, there were 2 health checks. The first test, with results on August 23, everyone tested negative for Covid-19. "From the time we landed at the airport until now, the Nghe An brothers living in the quarantine area are still healthy, looking forward to the end of the quarantine period so they can go home. As for me, I was very happy when I returned here, because this is my old unit - where I trained and worked during my military service" - Mr. Bach said.

Full of gratitude to the deceased

Besides the joy and excitement of those who are far from home and are now returning home, on flight VN 571 departing from Taoyuan Airport (Taiwan) to Cam Ranh International Airport, there were 2 Nghe An workers carrying backpacks containing the ashes of the unfortunate Vietnamese citizens who died in Taiwan a few weeks earlier.

These two special passengers are Mr. Ho Vinh Hue (25 years old), from Hamlet 1, An Hoa Commune (Quynh Luu, Nghe An) and Ms. Tran Thi Nhung (27 years old), from Hamlet Buc Buc, Cong Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh, Nghe An). The image of the two Nghe An workers carrying black backpacks on their chests, containing ashes, getting on and off the plane, aroused much curiosity among those on the flight.

Two Nghe An workers carried backpacks containing the ashes of Vietnamese citizens from Taiwan back to Vietnam.Photo: Cong Bach

From the quarantine area of ​​Military Region 5, Mr. Ho Vinh Hue shared: I have been working in Taiwan for 3 years, now my visa has expired and I have to return home. While preparing my luggage to leave Taiwan, I received a phone call from the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei asking me to bring the ashes of Hai Duong people back to Vietnam, I immediately accepted. Before the flight took off, someone brought a backpack containing the ashes.

According to Mr. Hue, the ashes he brought back to Vietnam were those of Mr. Nguyen Van Toan (30 years old), from Tien Tien commune, Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong province. Mr. Toan died in a traffic accident a few weeks earlier in Taiwan and was cremated before being brought back to Vietnam. Mr. Toan's ashes were kept in a sealed jar and put in a backpack, weighing more than 10 kg in total. "Including my luggage, I carried nearly 40 kg," said Mr. Hue.

Mr. Ho Vinh Hue and the backpack containing ashes. Photo: Cong Bach

On the flight, the backpack containing the ashes was placed in the carry-on luggage compartment. When the plane landed safely at Cam Ranh airport, the customs force moved the backpack to give to Toan's family who were waiting at the airport, to take it home for burial. Meanwhile, Hue had to move with the group of passengers to complete procedures, disinfect and transfer to the quarantine area.

Talking about bringing the ashes of Vietnamese compatriots back to the country, Mr. Hue said: "Vietnamese compatriots living far away from home have always helped each other in times of difficulty and hardship. When I received the backpack containing the ashes, I was a bit worried, but after handing over the backpack at the airport, I felt at peace because I had completed my mission."

During the process of getting on and off the plane, two Nghe An workers carrying backpacks containing ashes received support from their fellow countrymen.Photo: Cong Bach

For Ms. Tran Thi Nhung, the ashes she brought back to Vietnam were those of her husband, Pham Xuan Anh (31 years old). Ms. Nhung and her husband had been working in Taiwan for less than a year when Mr. Anh suddenly passed away in Taichung on July 26. His body was cremated and his ashes were kept at the funeral home, waiting for a flight to bring him back to Vietnam.

According to Ms. Nhung, due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic in Taiwan as well as in the country, bringing her husband's ashes back to the country has encountered many difficulties. It took several weeks after registering and waiting for the information to be released on August 19.

Just like the backpack containing Toan's ashes, right after the plane landed at Cam Ranh airport, the backpack containing Anh's ashes was also transferred by the authorities to relatives waiting at the airport to take them home for burial, while Ms. Nhung had to follow the group of passengers to the quarantine area. "My husband's ashes were buried in his hometown, but I had to be quarantined here for 16 days before I could return to Nghe An," Ms. Nhung said.

From Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong province, Mr. Hoang Van Thanh (37 years old) - a relative of Mr. Toan, who was present at Cam Ranh airport to receive the backpack containing Mr. Toan's ashes brought back by Mr. Hue (from Nghe An) shared: Hearing that someone from Nghe An accepted to help bring my brother's ashes back to Vietnam, our family was extremely grateful. We arrived at Cam Ranh airport 7 hours in advance to wait for this flight. However, when we received the backpack containing Mr. Toan's ashes at the airport, we could not meet Mr. Hue in person. We really do not know what else to say to thank Mr. Hue for his kindness and valuable gesture. I hope he and the passengers on that flight will quarantine well so that they can return to their families soon.