Near midnight on December 14, the Thung Nhue Pass area (Mai Chau commune, Phu Tho province) was submerged in a thick fog and chilly cold. The temperature at the scene was measured at about 12 degrees Celsius.
The headlights of machinery and specialized vehicles were launched onto the steep cliff, where thousands of cubic meters of rock and soil from the positive slope had collapsed onto National Highway 6 just a few hours before.
In the middle of the night, the search for victims had not stopped. Many excavators are mobilized and operate continuously at maximum capacity. Each cluster of soil and rocks was scooped up and leveled to the sides to open access to the area where the suspected buried victims were buried. The sound of the engine echoes in the narrow mountain range, mixed with the cold wind blowing along the pass.
Interspersed with machinery, rescue forces had to approach manually. Large and small blocks of stone were piled up and scraped with their hands. Each operation was done slowly and cautiously, to avoid the risk of further landslides from the positive slope that had become unstable after the landslide.
According to the reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, at this time, the temperature dropped, the terrain of the landslide area at Thung Nhuoi Pass was very complicated, the mountain slope was high, steep, and the road surface was completely buried by rocks and soil. This also caused significant difficulties for the rescue team.
On the edge of National Highway 6, relatives of the unknown victim were still on duty, quietly watching each move of the rescue force. An incense table was temporarily set up on the side of the road, with incense smoke mixed in the cold fog, opposite the white light of the rescue area.
Directly present at the scene, Mr. Pham Quoc Hung - Road Management Office I (National Highway 6 Management Unit) informed that the search was being carried out on each layer of rock and soil, prioritizing locations where the dash cam and witnesses identified people being buried.
The forces closely coordinated, both organizing the search for victims and monitoring the risk of further landslides to ensure the safety of rescue participants.
According to Mr. Hung, the forces have built a bypass road and temporarily opened it to traffic in one direction.
Previously, at around 14:37, on December 14, at Km124+300 National Highway 6, through Thung Nhuoi Pass, Mai Chau Commune, Phu Tho Province, a particularly serious landslide occurred.
Thousands of cubic meters of rock and soil from the positive slope suddenly collapsed, completely burying the road surface, causing traffic through the area to be cut off.
On the same afternoon, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters were present at the scene. According to observations, the landslide location is in a narrow mountain stream, with rocks and soil overflowing onto the road, causing complete traffic congestion.
Late on December 14, speaking with Lao Dong, a representative of the National Highway 6 management unit informed that up to now, only 2 victims have been found. Rescue work is still ongoing, expected to last all night.
According to Mai Chau Commune Police, the landslide on National Highway 6 killed 3 people and injured 2 others.
According to initial information, the identities of the deceased victims were identified as: Phan Duc Th (born in 1997), residing in Me Linh commune, Hanoi - a road user; Bui Van Th (born in 1980) and Bui Van C (born in 1973), both residing in Tan Lac commune, Phu Tho province - workers of Road Company 22 who are painting the road surface.
Currently, victim C is said to have died but has not been found.
