Ha Cong Chinh, head of Thanh Lam village, said on 16/9, the family and authorities organized the funeral for Ha Thi Top, 63, who passed away after an illness. However, floodwaters made the Tech stream swift and impassable. This path was the sole route to the burial ground.

As the funeral approached, 40 villagers discussed and agreed to build a bridge to carry the coffin across the stream. Some gathered bamboo, others transported it, then secured and reinforced it. After nearly two hours, the bridge was completed.

The funeral procession crossing the bamboo bridge in Thanh Lam village, Co Lung commune, on 16/9. *Photo: Residents provided*

According to Chinh, the funeral was scheduled to begin around 8h. However, it was almost noon, after the bridge was checked for safety, before residents could transport Top's coffin across the stream to its final resting place.

Due to a tropical depression combined with a tropical convergence zone, Thanh Hoa has experienced rains in recent days, causing water levels in rivers and streams to rise. The Buoi River and Yen River are currently above alarm level 3, while riverside and low-lying regions face deep flooding and isolation.

By the morning of 17/9, 420 households, with 1,700 people, had been evacuated to safety. Villages in areas like Ba Thuoc, Cam Thuy, Kim Tan, Nong Cong, are isolated by floodwaters.

Villages in Kim Tan, Thanh Hoa, are surrounded and isolated by floods. *Photo: Le Hoang*

In isolated areas, travel, transportation of goods, and access to communities face difficulties. Residents are advised to avoid crossing swift rivers and streams, and to proactively move people and property to safety.

Le Hoang