Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 13:41 GMT+7

Residents in Vietnam’s Nghe An dig through mud to salvage belongings after floods

Nearly a week after devastating floods swept through Tuong Duong Commune in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, residents are returning to their homes to recover whatever they can from beneath thick layers of mud.

As observed by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Monday, traffic resumed on National Highway 7 leading to Tuong Duong Commune, allowing aid convoys to reach the commune battered by floodwaters.

Though floodwaters have largely receded, piles of mud and debris still line the streets.

Soldiers and police officers on Monday worked side by side with locals to clear out the sludge and restore basic living conditions.

The flooding was triggered on Wednesday last week by torrential rains brought by storm Wipha, the third storm to hit Vietnam this year.

The deluge turned Tuong Duong Commune into a vast expanse of water, submerging entire neighborhoods and shocking long-time residents who had never experienced such catastrophic flooding.

Le Tien Tuong, who has run a grocery for over 20 years, recalled the terror of that night.

“After we were notified on Wednesday night that the hydropower plant would release water, we quickly moved our stock to higher shelves. However, we never expected the water to rise so fast,” he said.

At around 2:00 am on Thursday, he and his wife were forced to flee for higher ground, leaving everything behind.

When they returned, the store was filled with mud.

Most of their goods, including valuable electronics and appliances, were ruined.

He estimated losses at over VND2 billion (US$76,500).

“We have lost everything. I don’t even know where to begin again,” he bemoaned.

Nguyen Thi Minh, a neighbor of Tuong, and her husband have been living in a makeshift tent since their home was swept into the Lam River.

With no electricity or clean water, their days now revolve around donated meals from a nearby community kitchen.

“The soldiers managed to pull out a table and chairs that had floated down the riverbank, while I only have one set of clothes left to wear,” she shared.

Le Van Luong, Party secretary of Tuong Duong Commune, said that the flood submerged more than 2,200 homes, over half the households in the commune.

The water came in fast, carrying heavy mud, and receded quickly, but left behind a thick layer of mud, he said.

“We urgently need more manpower, machinery, and garbage trucks to handle the overwhelming workload, including clearing mud," Luong said.