The accident that killed a mother and her children in Hung Nguyen: The pain of those left behind

Trong could not know that his mother and siblings had left him. In the house on the outskirts of the village of Mr. Hoang Van Tam (32 years old) in Bui Ha hamlet, Hung Trung commune, on the afternoon of March 7, the portraits of his wife and two children were filled with incense smoke. There is no greater pain than when at the same time, the accident took away three of his most beloved people.

Relatives cried at the funeral of Ms. H and her three children. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Tam has been working for Lilama 10 Company since 2012. After Tet Quy Mao, he went to Hai Duong to work for the company for more than a week. He was late because he had to stay home to take care of his father who had a stroke. On the morning of March 6, while working, he received the bad news and hurriedly got on the bus to go home. At 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, he returned home and only saw his wife and children through the coffins, his heart aching.

Ms. Vo Thi Tham, Mr. Tam's cousin, said with tears in her eyes: Yesterday morning, she went to school and took her child to school. When she passed Provincial Road 542E, she saw the tragic accident, but she did not know that it was a relative. Only when she got to school and heard many people talking, did she know that the victim of the accident that morning was her relative.

Many local people, relatives, and close friends saw off Ms. H and her three children. Photo: Huy Thu

From school, she cried and drove straight to the scene. She did not dare to look at reality because it was too painful. At this time, Trong was taken to the medical station by the people, then transferred to Hung Nguyen District General Hospital, then Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Everyone focused all their efforts to save Trong.

According to Ms. Tham, after getting married and having 3 children together, Mr. Tam went to work as a factory worker, while Ms. H stayed home to take care of the children, taking them to school every day. The couple had just built a house, but their joy did not last long before disaster struck.

Ms. H passed away at the age of 26. Hoang Van B (9 years old) is in class 3A, Hoang Thi O (7 years old) is in class 1E, Nguyen Truong To Primary School. Hoang Van Trong (5 years old) is in Hung Trung Kindergarten. They are all good children and good students. Every day after school, the two older children can help their mother with housework.

Ambulances replace hearses to transport the deceased to the cemetery. Photo: Huy Thu

In the sound of Mr. Tam's mother crying for her children and grandchildren, the people present could not hold back their tears. Ms. Tham added that the grandchildren loved their grandmother very much. Mrs. Dang Thi Phuong (56 years old) had one eye damaged, and the other eye had only 30% vision. At night, Mrs. Phuong often held her grandchildren in her arms. Now that her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren had passed away, she felt as if her heart was being torn to pieces.

On the morning of March 7, family, relatives and neighbors sent Ms. H. and her three children to their final resting place. Ambulances followed one after another to take the three mother and children to Lang Co cemetery.

Mr. Dao, Ms. Tham's husband, said: To reduce the pain and loss for relatives and family, we decided to use an ambulance to carry the funeral instead of using a hearse as usual.

Mr. Hoang Van Tam grieves beside the graves of his wife and children. Photo: Huy Thu

Amidst the atmosphere of grief, wailing, and sorrow that enveloped the small hamlet, many people inside and outside Bui Ha hamlet came to see off Ms. H and her three children. According to the family's wishes, the three mother and children were laid to rest next to each other, Ms. H in the middle, and her two children on either side. A large tomb was built in Lang Co cemetery.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thuong, Head of Bui Ha Hamlet, shared that up to now, the locality has never had such a sad funeral, sending off 3 relatives in the same family at the same time. This is an extremely great loss for the people in the hamlet. Currently, the hamlet as well as Hung Trung commune are planning to call on people to join hands in donating, to share the grief with Mr. Tam's family.

Mr. Hoang Van Tam at the altar of his wife and two children at home. Photo: Huy Thu

Previously, at around 6:45 a.m. on March 6, on Provincial Road 542E, passing through Hung Trung Commune, a particularly serious accident occurred, causing 4 casualties in Mr. Tam's family. At the time of the accident, Ms. H was driving a motorbike carrying her 3 children to school when she was suddenly hit from behind by a heavy truck with license plate 14C - 201.03 traveling in the same direction. After the accident, the truck driver was detained by the police.

Currently, Trong’s health at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital is gradually recovering. He suffered a head injury, but was lucky to escape death under the truck. Since yesterday afternoon, he has been almost silent, only calling his mother once: “Mom, I’m in a lot of pain.”

Hoang Van Trong is gradually recovering at the hospital. Photo: Huy Thu

“I hope you heal quickly and return to your family. You are a great source of encouragement to Tam and his siblings. Everyone is worried about you,” a relative of Tam shared.