Nghe An: Hometown mourns the loss of a mother and her three children in a tragic accident

Mother and children from Nghe An were dragged under a truck and died.

A truck in Hanoi backed up and hit a motorbike, causing an 8-month pregnant woman to give birth on the spot, but all 3 mother and children died, the father was injured.

On the morning of June 1, International Children's Day, the day when many families take children out to play or buy them cute, lovely gifts, in Hamlet 9 Bac Nhan, Nhan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, it was the day when Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang's family was most heartbroken when they had to say goodbye to their loved ones with sobs. The terrible accident that occurred in Hanoi on May 31 killed his wife, Ms. Pham Thi Hue, their daughter Nguyen Phan Bao Anh (4 years old) and the 8-month-old baby that Ms. Hue was carrying.

In the house of Mr. Hau and Mrs. Mai in Hamlet 9 Bac Nhan, Nhan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, Mrs. Mai occasionally cries out in pain and sorrow: “My child! My grandchild! Come back to your mother and grandmother. Why did you end up like this, my child, my grandchild? Why did you leave your grandmother and go away…”. Photo: Duc Thanh

Seemingly still not daring to believe what had happened to the family of the only son in the house, Mr. Nguyen Van Hau, Hoang's father, choked up in tears, saying: "The couple at home were planning to try to work a few more days to finish the harvest, then she would go to Hanoi to look after the children while they went to work. However, man proposes, God disposes, uncle. At about 9am yesterday morning, relatives in Hanoi called home to inform us that Hoang's wife and child had met with an accident, and my wife and I were shocked and could not believe it."

Mr. Hau and his wife have 4 children, Mr. Hoang is the youngest and the only son in the family. He met and married Ms. Hue, from Dien Van commune, Dien Chau district. Life in his hometown was difficult, so he accepted to leave his wife and children to work in Hanoi from 2015 until now. After working for a year, he also found a temporary job for his wife, so he called her to come here to work with him so that the family could be reunited.

Life in the city with rent, food, living expenses and sending children to school should be even more difficult. However, having a husband and wife makes every difficulty make the family love each other more, more connected, but ironically, the unthinkable happened.

Mr. Hoang came back every now and then to look at his wife's face for the last time and then cried. Photo: Duc Thanh

Mr. Hoang choked up: “Yesterday (May 31), my wife and I took Bao Anh by motorbike to get some Vitamin A, then planned to buy a gift for our child on June 1. On the way to buy a gift for our child, my wife and child had an accident like that, I felt like I was dead from that moment on.”

In the hometown, when hearing the news, the neighbors gathered at Mr. Hau and Mrs. Mai's house without saying a word to encourage the family and help them prepare to bring their children and grandchildren back to their hometown for burial. At 7 pm on May 31, the coffin carrying the unfortunate mother and children of Ms. Hue arrived in their hometown. The choked, mournful cries rang out, tearing apart the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of this countryside. Everyone shed tears of grief...

At 1am this morning (June 1st), the family moved the bodies of the two children to the cemetery for burial and early this afternoon, Ms. Hue was also buried by her family. Looking at the altar set up with the portrait, mixed with the billowing incense smoke, lighting incense sticks for Ms. Hue, we also felt numb, as if we were losing our own loved one.

Sitting next to the coffins of her children and grandchildren since last night, Mrs. Hau cried until her tears ran dry. Her figure was staggering, haggard, and her eyes were swollen. Every now and then she would scream in pain and sorrow: “My child! My grandchild! Come back to your mother and grandmother. Why did you end up like this, my child, my grandchild? Why did you leave me? Why did the white-haired have to send the young-haired away like this…”

Relatives cried in pain next to Ms. Hue's coffin. Photo: Duc Thanh

Mr. Nguyen Tho Tuy - Chairman of Nhan Thanh Commune People's Committee expressed condolences to the family: "After the tragic accident occurred in Hanoi, through the press, the local authorities also received information and sent officials to visit and encourage the family."

Never before has such a heartbreaking incident happened in this rural area, when a family lost 3 people at the same time. June 1st is the day when children ask for gifts from their parents and grandparents. As for Mr. Hau, Mrs. Mai and Mr. Hoang, it is the day when their children and grandchildren will forever leave their grandparents to go to the other world. The day when his wife and children will forever leave Mr. Hoang...