Luong Van Thanh’s motorbike, which he used to transport his wife to work, was buried under half a meter of mud. On the afternoon of 23/7, he tried to lift the wheels with a bamboo stick to pull it out and wash it, but was unsuccessful.

Around 5 PM on 22/7, heavy rain caused rivers and streams to swell in Co Ha village, Nhon Mai commune. Minutes later, a landslide crashed down on the residential area, home to dozens of families.

Five houses were completely swept away in an instant. Fortunately, residents managed to escape before the landslide hit. Some survived by mere seconds, narrowly avoiding the torrent of earth and rock.

Dozens of landslides have blocked National Highway 16 through Nhon Mai, with mud reaching depths of about half a meter.

Seo Thi Tuyet, 40, a resident of Co Ha, recounted playing with her 8-year-old son when they heard a loud rumble from the mountain behind their house.

“Landslide! Landslide!”, Tuyet screamed to her son. They ran outside and watched in horror as their home was swept away, leaving only a section of wall standing.

All of Tuyet’s possessions were buried under mud, branches, debris, and rocks. On the afternoon of 23/7, as the rain subsided, she sifted through the mud, desperately searching for salvageable items, but everything was broken and distorted.

“My family has nothing left. I don't know how we'll rebuild our home. Our income from working as hired laborers is barely enough for daily expenses. We've been sleeping at a neighbor's house," Tuyet said, her eyes red, glancing at her husband and son.

Ha Thi Hoa’s grocery store, about 50 meters from Tuyet’s house, was flattened by the landslide. Her goods – snacks, necessities, and clothing – were washed away.

On the afternoon of 23/7, the store was still filled with nearly a meter of mud, making cleanup impossible.

Hoa had just purchased 27 50-kg bags of Laotian sticky rice to sell. The landslide buried the entire stock, leaving only a few kilos on the surface of the mud.

“All my capital was invested in the rice and the store, and now it's gone. The landslide and flash flood caused nearly 200 million VND in damages,” Hoa said.

Luong Van Thanh, 58, also saw his home and possessions damaged by the landslide. As his wife stood inside, sighing at the sight of their broken refrigerator and television, Thanh tried to comfort her: “As long as we’re alive, we can rebuild. We'll work hard, go to the forest, and earn enough to start over.”

Their belongings were not only buried in mud but also crushed by cement slabs and wooden beams, rendering them unusable.

On the afternoon of 24/7, some families in Co Ha began repairing their roofs for temporary shelter, planning to reinforce them later.

Taking advantage of a break in the rain, people hung their remaining clothes to dry. Many lost all their clothing, and National Highway 16, connecting Nhon Mai to neighboring areas, remained impassable due to hundreds of landslides.

Despite leaving the immediate landslide area, Nhon Mai residents remained anxious about unstable rocks on the mountain, posing a continued threat.

Over the past two days, villagers in Co Ha helped affected families rebuild roofs and salvage belongings to establish temporary shelter.

“We’re supporting each other so affected families have a place to stay in case of more heavy rain. We're encouraging everyone to stay calm and wait for better conditions to rebuild," a resident said.

Nhon Mai is a remote border commune in Nghe An province, primarily inhabited by the Kho Mu ethnic group. The commune has 21 villages, 17 of which are currently difficult to access due to road closures. The recent floods and landslides caused one death and extensive property damage, the full extent of which is yet to be determined.

Due to Typhoon Wipha, from the night of 21/7 to the end of 22/7, many areas in Nghe An experienced heavy rainfall, ranging from 100 to 200 mm, with Quy Chau district receiving 259 mm. Floodwaters from upstream caused flooding, flash floods, and landslides in mountainous districts like Ky Son, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, and Que Phong.

The flow of floodwater into the Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir reached 12,800 m3/s, exceeding its design capacity. As of 5:30 PM on 23/7, the floods and landslides resulted in at least three deaths, one person missing, four injured, over 3,700 flooded homes, hundreds of damaged roofs, and numerous isolated villages.

By the evening of 24/7, the rain in the mountainous areas had stopped, and the water level on National Highway 7 receded quickly, but traffic remained blocked due to the large amount of mud. Border communes like Bac Ly, My Ly, and Nhon Mai still lacked phone service, hindering access for relief efforts.

Duc Hung