People salvage rice from the mud after flash floods in Nhon Mai.
On the third day after the flash floods, taking advantage of the sunny weather, people in the flood-affected villages went to the fields to salvage the remaining rice mixed in with the mud. Authorities worked hard to clear roads and help families whose houses were destroyed to find stable accommodation.
Mr. Va Ba Tinh, an official from the People's Committee of Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong district), said that for more than two days, the "four on-the-spot" forces of the commune, villages, and armed forces units have been racing against time to help people overcome the consequences of flash floods. Due to the collapse of many roads and bridges, many households have been temporarily isolated.
To reach the scene, the forces had to travel by motorbike or on foot. The journey required them to work together to clear rocks and debris to open a path for the motorbikes to pass through. At the same time, the teams approaching the isolated area had to assign personnel to monitor weather forecasts, observe the terrain and geology to warn of potential landslides and prevent flash floods in rivers and streams caused by upstream water flow.
Mr. Va Ba Tinh said that by the morning of June 1st, the forces had reached the epicenter of the flash flood, helping households clear mud and debris from collapsed houses and dispose of dead livestock to minimize environmental pollution.
The flash flood occurred while people were harvesting their spring rice crop, so many areas of unharvested rice were buried under mud. Some households had finished harvesting but hadn't had time to bring the rice home or dry it before it was submerged by the floodwaters.
On the morning of June 2nd, at the home of Mr. Va Ba Cha, border guards, police, and militia forces gathered to help the family move their belongings submerged in mud so they could rebuild their house. Meanwhile, Mr. Cha's wife, Luong Thi Hieu, and her sisters took advantage of the time to go to the fields to sift through the mud and salvage any remaining rice after the flood. The harvested rice that was submerged in mud was also brought out to dry, separating the mud from the grains.
The heavy rain and flash floods on the night of May 29th caused severe damage to houses, property, crops, livestock, and transportation infrastructure in Nhon Mai commune. Of the 28 hectares of rice fields that were flooded and buried, 20 hectares belonged to residents of Nhon Mai commune, mainly concentrated in Nhon Mai and Tham Tham villages, with some in Co Ha, Na Lot, and Xoi Voi villages.
The entire Nhon Mai commune has 12 villages, 865 households, and over 4,000 inhabitants, mainly of the Thai, Mong, and Khmu ethnic groups. The people's lives mainly depend on agricultural production, including rice, corn, and cassava cultivation, and raising buffalo, cattle, pigs, and chickens. This flash flood not only damaged the rice crop, almost completely destroying it, but also buried, swept away, or crushed corn, cassava, and vegetable crops, estimated at over 70 hectares.
Regarding houses, in Nhon Mai commune, 4 houses were swept away, including 2 solid houses in Na Hy village, 1 solid house in Tham Tham village, and 1 prefabricated house. All 4 houses had to be urgently relocated due to a high risk of landslides; the slopes behind the houses showed cracks, landslides, and soil and rocks overflowing during prolonged rain (2 houses in Na Lot village and 2 houses in Co Ha village).
Several other houses in Tham Tham village were also severely buried under landslides and have not yet been repaired. “In addition, about 13 other houses are affected, at risk of landslides or being flooded with mud and rocks. Although not yet at the point where immediate relocation is necessary, the potential risk is high, and the families are currently in a state of anxiety, especially when the weather shows signs of rain and wind,” said Mr. Va Ba Tinh.
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Besides Nhon Mai commune, Huu Khuong and Yen Tinh communes in Tuong Duong district also suffered serious damage due to heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides. Therefore, in addition to mobilizing forces to support people in overcoming the consequences, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district has also proposed additional support from higher levels of government to help people stabilize their lives as soon as possible, especially in heavily affected areas. At the same time, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district has also proposed comprehensive, sustainable solutions to overcome the damage, suitable to the specific conditions of the mountainous area, which is frequently affected by natural disasters.
