Residents and forces in My Ly commune (Nghe An province) race against the weather to recover belongings and documents.
Besides houses collapsing and being swept away, and crops being completely destroyed, hundreds of families in the flood-stricken area of My Ly are still homeless and without possessions. The electricity, roads, schools, and health stations have been severely damaged. The entire political system here is urgently involved, racing against the adverse weather to help people recover their belongings and overcome the consequences.
People search for treasure in the mud and soil.
The border commune of Mỹ Lý is still experiencing unprecedented hardship following the devastating flash flood.
The house where Ms. Vi Thi Tho used to live in Xieng Tam village, My Ly commune, was destroyed overnight by the flood (July 22nd). Now, it's just an empty plot of land covered in mud. Standing on that muddy ground, Ms. Vi Thi Tho and her children, grandchildren, and relatives are trying to locate the safe that once stood by her bedside, hoping to find the document box and some money. "Looking at the two remaining trees, which used to be right behind the house, next to the bed, I hope digging there will lead me to the safe," Ms. Vi Thi Tho said sadly.
Sweat drenched their bodies, their breathing heavy with exhaustion from days of living "under the open sky," having to stay with relatives, eating irregularly, and lacking electricity and water, the family members still clung to the hope of salvaging some belongings and documents after the devastating flood. Even Thơ's nephew, a fifth-grade student, worked tirelessly digging with a hoe.
Not far away, other residents were wading through the mud, digging, and even using their hands to rake the increasingly compacted mud to search for belongings on the foundations of their homes. Ms. Lo Thi Bua, whose house is near the My Ly Border Guard Post, also chimed in: “My house over there is also flooded up to the roof, all my belongings are gone, and only the frame remains, but it’s too dilapidated to live in. I’m staying at my uncle’s house further up, where it wasn’t completely flooded.”
Following the direction Mrs. Bua pointed, her house looked dilapidated. Not far away, many rows of houses along the edge of the Nam Non River belonging to the My Ly Border Guard Post were also buried under mud up to their roofs.
After six days, the floodwaters have finally receded. All day today (July 27th), the family of Ms. Lo Thi Phi in Xieng Tam village has been digging through the mud, searching for any remaining belongings. Ms. Lo Thi Phi, while digging through the mud and soil, said, "I'm trying to find my pants, my mat, my blanket to wash and use temporarily." Also in Xieng Tam village, Ms. Vi Thi Thanh Ha said tearfully, "There's nothing left. Looking here, I don't even know where the foundation of my house is."
Continue to work tirelessly to help the people overcome the consequences.
We arrived at the center of My Ly commune. Along the road from Huoi Tu commune, although the road was cleared, there were still dozens of dangerous landslide areas. Hundreds of families who had lost their homes and belongings completely, or partially, or suffered severe damage rendering them uninhabitable, all expressed their desire for safer new housing.
In the villages of Hoa Ly, Xieng Tam, and Xop Tu, there was a bustling flow of people. Police, military, commune officials, and the My Ly Border Guard Post were all working tirelessly, assigning personnel to assist the people. They were simultaneously gathering information about the area, ensuring safe travel and accommodation for the residents, and deploying forces to receive and distribute aid from people across the country, ensuring it was effective and appropriate for the affected families.
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Following the floods, many households in My Ly commune were left penniless, homeless, and facing a bleak future. According to the leaders of the My Ly Commune People's Committee, the damage caused by the flash floods to this border commune could be estimated at hundreds of billions of dong. This includes the complete destruction of property and 216 houses in 7 villages, while 135 other houses required urgent relocation.
Mr. Dao Cong Thinh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of My Ly commune, said that these places are no longer habitable, and in the long term, a resettlement plan for the residents must be considered.
