Steadfastly in the midst of the death border
In 2024, the circulation of storm No. 3 Yagi caused serious landslides, killing more than 200 people in Lao Cai province (merged from the old Yen Bai and Lao Cai). Tens of thousands of houses were submerged in floodwaters, many villages were swept away. Those are old memories, haunted and unforgettable.
At the end of July 2025, when information about Typhoon Wipha making landfall causing heavy rain and widespread landslides was reported, authorities in Lao Cai mountainous communes immediately deployed a plan to evacuate people. At 10:00 p.m. on July 21, during the pouring rain, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters were present in Dong An commune - one of the hot spots to keep up with the field. After helping commune officials hang propaganda signs at the village cultural houses, the whole group took advantage of the danger and brought rain to each household located under the high mountainside to guide and bring people to safe shelters.
The next morning, the reporter continued to follow the working group to Chau Que commune - where the terrain was cut off, with a very high risk of landslides. In three hours, with a spirit of urgency, 98 households in the danger zone were evacuated safely.
Mr. Pham Trung Kien - Secretary of the Chau Que Commune Party Committee emotionally said: "At first, when receiving a series of information about floods at the same time, commune officials were very confused. Social networks spread a lot of unverified information, causing panic among the people. With journalists on duty and providing verified information in a timely manner, people and staff will feel much more secure.
Not just a reporter
When the flood rose, reporters were used to going to remote areas to record, but faced a bigger challenge: Loss of phone signal, traffic disruption, lack of resources. Many people could not enter the scene, so they had to connect with the authorities via Zalo to receive photos, verify information and promptly refute false rumors.
The biggest problem that reporters working in flooded areas often encounter is moving through the walls like "land bombs" that can collapse at any time. Especially not being subjective in the face of strong, rising streams during the flood season. In 2017, a reporter from Vietnam News Agency working on Thia bridge (old Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province - now Nghia Lo ward, Lao Cai province) was swept away by floodwaters.
During the days of "eating dusty rice and sleeping temporarily", the reporters were startled many times when they heard the resounding whistles of ambulances and fire trucks at night. Most recently, prolonged rain caused two houses in Xuan Ai commune to collapse overnight, killing the mother and child and injuring three others. Those losses make people feel pain.
However, overcoming challenges, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters not only did information work but also pioneered the call for relief. Each trip of essential goods is urgently loaded, crossing mountains and forests to the people.
In the most severe time of natural disasters, the Northwest Office - Lao Dong Newspaper has coordinated with volunteer organizations to transfer 40 tons of relief caves including: 1,000 boxes of mineral water, 600 boxes of congee, 10,000 banh mi, 1,550 raincoats, 150 life jackets, hundreds of flashlights, instant noodles, dry food, milk, books... to people in flooded areas. 67 special gifts were given to children at Vuc But school, Phong Du Ha commune. Tens of thousands of notebooks and hundreds of cash gifts were also sent to students in mountainous areas affected by natural disasters.
Some people say that many reporters go to disaster areas to "create personal impressions", but journalists "nothing to do with time to worry about those things". They also do not want to use the two words "mission" because they see it as too noble but simply the responsibility of journalists.
"The reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper has promoted the sense of responsibility and ethics of journalists. Not only providing quick and accurate information, but also contributing to spreading humanity, encouraging the spirit of solidarity and sharing in difficult times. They do not leave people behind, said the leader of the Lao Cai Provincial Journalists Association.
