4 bodies of Thanh Hoa victims swept away by flood found

(Baonghean.vn) - Search and rescue forces have found four bodies, all of them female, not intact, along a stream in Chau Hoi commune (Quy Chau district). They are people from Thanh Hoa who were swept away by floodwaters.

On the afternoon of September 17, Mr. Ngo Duc Thuan - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Chau district said that after 3 days, the district's units coordinated with the search and rescue forces of Thanh Hoa province to find 4 bodies suspected to be victims in Thanh Quan commune (Nhu Xuan district) in the flood that swept them away while picking bamboo shoots in Chau Hoi commune.

Search and rescue forces search for 5 Thanh Hoa victims swept away by flood on September 14 in Chau Hoi commune, Quy Chau district.

According to Mr. Thuan, these bodies were all women discovered along a stream in Chau Hoi commune but were not intact, making identification difficult. Forensic forces have examined and taken DNA samples from these bodies to determine the victims' identities.

"Initially, because there were no missing women in the district, the search and rescue team handed them over to the Thanh Quan commune government, Nhu Xuan district (Thanh Hoa) and relatives for burial because it was suspected that these were all victims who were swept away by the flood while working on bamboo shoots," said Mr. Thuan.

Mr. Thuan added that the search and rescue team is continuing to focus on searching for the remaining missing woman and Mr. Vi Van Hai (residing in Lien Minh village, Chau Nga commune) who was swept away by floodwaters on the morning of September 14.

Previously, on September 14, more than 10 people from Thanh Quan commune, Nhu Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province went into the forest in the area bordering Quy Chau district (Nghe An) to collect bamboo shoots and honey to sell, but went missing due to the severe floods. Some people who were lucky enough to escape ran back to report that 7 people were swept away by the flood.

After that, more than 200 people including military forces, militia, and police from two localities coordinated to search along the stream in Chau Hoi commune and found two victims. The remaining five missing people were all women living in Chieng Ca 2 village, Thanh Quan commune, including: Vi Thi Noi, Vi Thi Thay, Vi Thi Thoang, Vi Thi Tin, and Vi Thi Doan.

The flood in the early morning of September 14 caused the river water in Quy Chau to suddenly rise.

According to statistics from the Standing Office of the Steering Committee for Search and Rescue and Natural Disaster Prevention of Nghe An, as of 5:00 p.m. on September 15, due to the impact of floods and rains, 7 people died and went missing in Nghe An. Of these, two people were missing in Que Phong and Quy Chau districts.

The five people who died included Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh (born in 1969, residing in Hamlet 2, Nghi My Commune, Nghi Loc District) who was struck by lightning while working in the fields. Mr. Vi Van Kinh (born in 1933, residing in Ban Don Cham, Muong Noc Commune, Que Phong District) who drowned and Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh (born in 1967, residing in Xuan Huong Hamlet, Huong Son Commune, Tan Ky District) who drowned. In Quy Chau District, there were two people whose identities have not been determined.

Huy Phong