Uncertainty about storms
The landslide area is located along National Highway 12B, Km44+150, in Bai Khoai hamlet, My Hoa commune (old), Kim Boi district - now Dung Tien commune, Phu Tho province.
According to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper in early August, this area has many warning signs of danger in areas with landslides.
Here, there are 7 households with 35 people who have lived stably for many generations. After a prolonged heavy rain due to the impact of storm No. 3 (Yagi) in 2024, the hill behind the houses of households collapsed and caused a long crack.
However, there are still 5/7 households living in this area. Nearly 2 weeks ago, households had to evacuate due to the impact of storm No. 3 (Wipha).
Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong's family is one of two households that had to be evacuated from August 2024 to present. Mr. Cuong's level 4 house has been abandoned for nearly a year and is now seriously degraded. The walls are moldy, the ceilings are skewed, the floor is flooded after heavy rain. Behind, a large amount of soil slid into the wall of the house.
"For nearly a year now, my family has had to stay at my sister's house. The old house is degraded, the hills behind it continue to slide when it rains, no one dares to move in. I hope the State will soon scoop up the land and handle it to prevent landslides so that we can return to live," said Mr. Cuong.
Right above is the house of Ms. Nguyen Thi Diep's family (Mr. Cuong's younger sister), which has been abandoned for nearly a year. The house is surrounded by overgrown weeds, and there are currently many cracks in the yard, walls, and floor.
"This house is no longer habitable. Now they are also living in other brothers' houses, and their lives are difficult," said Mr. Ha Quang Tung, Head of Bai Khoai Hamlet.
In addition, Mr. Nguyen Van Duong's family, although not yet relocated, always lives in a state of anxiety and worry. At the end of July, his family also had to evacuate. At this time, although the weather was sunny, behind the house, water from the hill was still flowing down.
"Heavy rain forced my family to evacuate, and our daily activities were disrupted. The family has young children, and every time we move back, it is very difficult. Hopefully the State will soon handle the dangerous area so that people can stay with peace of mind," Mr. Dung shared.
Urgently handle landslides
According to the reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, the cracks on the hill in Bai Khoai hamlet are hundreds of meters long, creating deep ditches, covering the entire living area of 7 households. The landslide situation is still complicated, directly threatening households.
Mr. Ha Quang Tung, Head of Bai Khoai hamlet, said: "This crack is very deep, when it rains heavily, water flows into the ditch, forming a bag of water inside, so the risk of landslides is very high. Without a definitive solution, households cannot continue to live here."
According to Mr. Bach Cong Du, Vice Chairman of Dung Tien Commune People's Committee, previously, My Hoa Commune People's Committee (old) sent a document to Kim Boi District People's Committee (old), the district also proposed to the province to handle this area. One of the proposed options is to level the landslide area so that people can continue to live on the site.
"After the local authorities at both levels came into operation, the Commune People's Committee also reported to the province about the risk of landslides in Bai Khoai hamlet. The Provincial People's Committee has assigned the commune to continue monitoring, placing warning signs and coordinating with departments and branches to organize research and surveys to have a plan to ensure long-term safety for households in this area," Mr. Du informed.
The common wish of the 7 households in Bai Khoai hamlet is to overcome the landslide situation to continue to cling to the land and the village. "We just hope to soon handle the landslide to stabilize our lives on the land left by our ancestors," said Mr. Cuong.
