On the afternoon of 23/7, 23-year-old Nghe, from Cha Nga village, Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district, arrived in Tham Tham village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district with five friends after hours of walking. The group stopped by the roadside, ate instant noodles at a small stall, and rested before continuing their journey home.

Nghe works at an ore mining company in Quy Hop district. On the afternoon of 22/7, he received news that his 30-year-old sister and 9-year-old niece were swept away by floodwaters while crossing a stream to buy necessities in a neighboring village. His mother, who was with them, managed to cling to a tree branch and survived. After hours of searching, authorities found his sister's body, but his niece remains missing.

"I cried many times after receiving the news. I wanted to return immediately that night to arrange my sister's funeral and search for my niece, but Highway 48 was deeply flooded, and Highway 16, the main road to my commune, was severely damaged by landslides," Nghe said.

Nghe and his friends walked hundreds of kilometers home after hearing about the flash flood that devastated Cha Nga village, Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district, on the afternoon of 24/7. Photo: Duc Hung

Nghe and his friends walked hundreds of kilometers home after hearing about the flash flood that devastated Cha Nga village, Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district, on the afternoon of 24/7. Photo: Duc Hung

On the morning of 23/7, as floodwaters on Highway 48 receded, Nghe and four friends from Cha Nga village, also working at the ore mine in Quy Hop district, took a taxi home. However, upon reaching Highway 16 in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, a landslide blocked the road, preventing the car from continuing. The group paid the fare, took their belongings, and started walking.

On their way home, Nghe's group had to wade through several streams and muddy sections with water 0.5 meters deep. In places where the road was completely impassable, they had to cut through the forest, following the trees, and then rejoin Highway 16.

With 100 km left from Tri Le commune to their homes in Bac Ly commune, the group planned to continue on foot. Throughout the previous day, they had repeatedly called relatives, asking them to ride motorbikes to the nearest accessible point for a pickup, but their efforts were futile due to a complete loss of mobile phone service in the commune.

"I don't know how much longer it will take to get home, but we'll keep going," Nghe said. The group had stocked up on bread, instant noodles, water, and other essential supplies, preparing for the arduous journey over hills, mountains, and landslide-affected areas.

Resting by the roadside near Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Nghe repeatedly tried to call his family but couldn't connect. Photo: Duc Hung

Resting by the roadside near Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Nghe repeatedly tried to call his family but couldn't connect. Photo: Duc Hung

Traveling with Nghe was 24-year-old Pit Van Then, also from Cha Nga village, whose house partially collapsed due to the flash flood that swept through Bac Ly commune on the afternoon of 22/7. Trekking through mud-filled landslide areas, Then vividly remembers a particularly slippery section of forest road in Tham Tham village, Tri Le commune, where the group had to cling to tree roots and crawl over large rocks.

"Even holding hands while crossing the landslide area, there were times I almost fell into the stream. Encouraged by everyone, I told myself to keep going to get back to my family. Compared to Nghe's loss, I feel fortunate," Then shared, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains where many villages remained isolated by the floods.

Bac Ly commune is a remote area in Ky Son district, more than 300 km from Nghe An province's center, bordering Laos. Most residents are Hmong, living scattered in villages deep in the mountains. During the rainy season, access to these villages is often cut off, with some areas reachable only by following streams or climbing steep forest paths.

Due to landslides, Nghe's group will have to trek through the forest for sections of their journey home. Photo: Duc Hung

Due to landslides, Nghe's group will have to trek through the forest for sections of their journey home. Photo: Duc Hung

Currently, 11 out of 13 villages in Bac Ly commune are isolated, with power and mobile phone service outages due to the floods. Authorities are mobilizing forces to search for the missing, clear landslides, and ensure food and essential supplies reach residents.

"With roads cut off, it's quite common for people to walk dozens of kilometers like Nghe. We urge people to heed safety warnings and avoid traveling while the weather remains challenging," said Lu Quang Hung, Secretary of the Bac Ly Commune Party Committee.

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

Floodwaters from upstream caused road flooding in Bac Ly commune on 24/7. Photo: Hung Le

Floodwaters from upstream caused road flooding in Bac Ly commune on 24/7. Photo: Hung Le

The flood peak at Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir reached 12,800 m3/s, far exceeding its design capacity. By 5:30 PM on 23/7, the floods had caused at least three deaths, one person missing, four injured, flooded over 3,700 houses, ripped the roofs off hundreds of homes, and isolated numerous villages.

By the morning of 24/7, the rain in the mountainous regions of Nghe An had subsided, but hydropower plants continued to release water. Upstream water continued to flow downstream, causing extensive flooding in Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, and Anh Son communes, cutting off Highway 7 and paralyzing traffic. Border communes like Bac Ly, My Ly (Ky Son district) and Nhon Mai (Tuong Duong district) remain isolated without phone service.

Duc Hung