On the afternoon of October 9, when flood waves were still rising to the roofs of houses in Van Nham commune, Lang Son province, thanks to a local motorboat, the group of reporters followed the turbid brown water, found the first mountain area, where three families managed to run up the grotto to take shelter after the flood suddenly hit in the middle of the night.
After nearly three hours of sitting on a boat, passing through every section of the river flooded with electric wires, tree tops, and rocks, we reached the cliff.
However, the motorboat could not get near the cave, forcing people to row along the water's edge.
Climbing through the slippery rocks, the scene immediately appeared, making us speechless. More than a dozen people, old and young, are crowded together in a damp, cramped cave.
The oldest was Nguyen Thi Thu, 72 years old; the youngest was only three. They have lived here for more than 40 hours, in the cold, mosquitoes and the fear that has not stopped.
Sitting next to the cliff, Mr. Thu trembling recalled the fateful night: "It must have been around two o'clock in the morning. I heard a noise in the yard, when I opened the door, the water was as deep as my belly. Before he could understand anything, my son, Dung, shouted: "Run to the mountain!". In the middle of the dark, we just headed our heads and ran, not having time to bring anything. The water kept chasing him close to his tail....
She stopped and took her hand to wip her tears. "Having these two old lives is a great blessing, uncle and uncle. The house, the pigs, the furniture... must have been gone.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, her son, still clearly remembers the moment the floodwaters "swallowed" the house after only a few minutes: "Last year the flood was big, but this year it was much more severe. In time to carry his mother and children up the cliff. Then looking down, my house was submerged in muddy water.
The three families of Mr. Dung, Mr. Tran Van Xuyen, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong and Ms. Thu have not been able to leave the grotto because the water has not receded.
The cave became a temporary shelter in the mountains and forests. They ate raw instant noodles, drank steaming water, and each person only dared to sip a few sips.
" mosquito bites, people shudder from the cold, no one can sleep for two nights. We just know how to hug each other to warm up, waiting for someone to bring food in," said Mr. Thu.
On the afternoon of October 8, the rescue team brought rice and a little water to provide. All three families divided into small portions, giving up their children first.
The worst is for the children. Smoke, thirst, fear. But at least they are still alive, Mr. Xuyen said, his eyes looking at the foot of the mountain, where his roof was still submerged in water.
Not only these three families, in the nearby Dong Tam village, Mr. Hoang Van Nguyen (60 years old) and nearly two dozen neighbors are also stuck in the cliff in the middle of the mountain.
The flood came as quickly as people poured into the village a stream, he said.
Cranching on a stretcher of land spreading quickly under a rocky foundation, the 60-year-old man looked far away, towards the cloudy water.
Amidst the immense ocean of water, the grottos in Van Nham have become the "oasis of life". But when the water recedes, what they have to face is a scene of being left empty-handed: their house collapses, animals die, and their gardens are swept away.
Mrs. Thu looked at her village and exclaimed: "We escaped death, but now we don't know what to take and start over..."
"Our biggest wish now is for the floodwaters to recede quickly and hopefully the house will have some left. But life in the near future will certainly be difficult and difficult. I just hope that local authorities and philanthropists will provide timely support so that people can soon stabilize their lives," Mr. Nguyen said sadly.
According to Lao Dong reporters, by the evening of October 9, floodwaters in Van Nham and Huu Lung communes (Lang Son) had begun to recede but at a slow pace. Some areas have water levels dropping to the chest level, but many low-lying areas are still deeply flooded, some places near the roof.
Local authorities and relief teams are actively deploying relief, transporting food and drinking water to isolated residential areas, and evacuating people from areas at risk of insecurity.
Millions of arms turn to compatriots affected by storms and floods
Consecutive storms No. 8, 9.10 (Bualoi) and floods caused by the storm have killed, left missing, and injured 165 people; many houses and production and business establishments have had their roofs blown off and suffered heavy damage. People across the northern mountainous provinces and the central provinces are struggling to cope with floods and heavy losses in human lives and property due to floods and thunderstorms.
"A piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full", with the spirit of mutual love that has always been a beautiful image of the Vietnamese people, the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund calls on domestic and foreign philanthropists to join hands to share with people affected by floods to have food, clothing, shelter, students have books to go to school...
The Golden Heart Social Charity Fund would like to sincerely thank the precious feelings of agencies, businesses, and domestic and foreign philanthropists.
Please send any help to: Golden Heart Social Society Fund, No. 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Phone: 024.39232756. Account number (STK): 113000000758 at Vietinbank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi. STK: 0021000303088 - at Vietcombank - Hanoi Branch, STK: 12410001122556 - at BIDV - Hoan Kiem Branch. Or scan the following QR code:
