Two days after being battered by flash floods, Ho Bon Commune in Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam remained isolated, with many villages and the commune center covered in rocks and mud.

On Monday, a delegation including district-level officials and Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters visited the mountainous commune, which was hit by flash floods on Saturday night.

The National Highway 32 section running through the commune was covered with layers of mud and was damaged after being struck by a dozen landslides.

It took the delegation almost three hours to travel through muddy water on the highway in order to access the commune center.

Trong La was the hardest-hit village in the commune as it experienced multiple flash floods and landslides.

Part of the commune’s medical station and around a dozen nearby houses were swept away by floodwaters.

When the delegation moved closer toward the heart of the commune, they discovered that fallen trees lay blocking the roadside, while rocks and mud spilled onto the floors of local households, the headquarters of the Ho Bon People’s Committee, and local schools.

Sung A Binh, chairman of the commune administration, said flash floods left one resident missing, destroyed 20 houses, and displaced many local residents.

He added that 94 of the affected people were arranged to temporarily stay in a local community house and in their relatives’ accommodations.

The extreme weather left 100 houses damaged by 50-80 percent. Floodwaters also swept away 20 cattle, 70 motorcycles, two cars, and a large amount of food stock in the commune, Binh said.

All of the medical station doors, functional rooms, and medical equipment were damaged, in addition to a lack of medicine for people in need, the local official said, expressing his concerns.

There is no power or phone signal in the entire isolated commune.

It could take three more days for local forces to begin cleanup operations.

Le Trong Khang, chairman of the Mu Cang Chai administration, said an emergency meeting was convened and three working teams were formed to visit three affected communes to cope with the aftermath of flash floods and heavy rains.

Aside from arranging temporary accommodations to affected residents, the authorities offered them financial aid and food.

The authorities are working to help affected households return to their normal life, Khang elaborated.

In related news, severe flash floods and landslides took a toll on the 110kV transmission line and public properties of the Ho Bon hydropower plant in the district, according to the state-run Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN).

Also, traffic disruptions were reported in the National Highway 32 section passing through the communes of Ho Bon and Khao Mang in the district.

The whole district encountered power outages, while landslides made some roads impassable to both vehicles and pedestrians. 

Electricity is expected to be restored on Wednesday in the district, but this plan still depends on weather conditions, the EVN said.

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