In the flooded village of Vo Kien, Dien Khanh district, Khanh Hoa province, 34-year-old village Party Secretary Bui Minh Nhan became an unexpected hero. As floodwaters engulfed homes, Nhan tirelessly rowed villagers - especially the elderly and children - to safety.
“We’d never seen water rise so fast. Even the oldest residents say they’ve never witnessed a flood this fierce. Dozens of homes were submerged to the rooftops,” Nhan told VietNamNet reporters on November 21, while still soaked and exhausted from rescue efforts.
As the water began to rise, Nhan and village head Thai Minh Tien quickly formed a 10-member volunteer rescue team. They borrowed boats from locals and began evacuating people from low-lying homes to higher ground.
“I didn’t hesitate. We knew if no one acted fast, people would be in danger. The water was rising too quickly,” said Nhan.
In the chaos, Nhan managed to move his own mother to the tallest house in the village, where the homeowner graciously offered shelter. Over 20 people, mostly children and the elderly, are now taking refuge there.
But the rescues didn’t always go smoothly. On one mission, as floodwaters reached 3–4 meters and violent winds lashed the area, Nhan’s boat capsized in the raging current.
“I was adrift in the water and truly thought I would die. Luckily, someone spotted me from a rooftop and called for help. Villagers pulled me out in time.”
Despite the close call, Nhan returned to the water. The team continued gathering villagers into tall homes, some housing up to 50 people. In desperate moments, they sawed through roofs or tore off tiles to pull people from flooded attics.
Bui Tan Truong, a local resident, was moved to tears. “When we were completely cut off, it was young people like Nhan and Tien who braved the torrents to bring us to safety,” he said.
Surviving on rainwater and instant noodles
During their five days of isolation, life in Vo Kien was harsh. With no electricity or clean water, people went without food for two days. They lived off a handful of instant noodle packets and drank rainwater.
By November 21, a relief team from Binh Thuan finally reached the area, bringing boxes of drinking water and food.
Having spent days wading through floodwaters and staying up at night for rescue missions, many members of the volunteer team are now sick and exhausted.
“We’ve been swimming and on our feet for days. Almost everyone is ill. Only a few of us are still strong enough to keep helping,” Nhan shared.
Despite their efforts, not everyone could be saved.
“Some of the elderly couldn’t make it. They’d been soaking in water for too long and were already weak. The weather was just too harsh,” Nhan said, choking back tears.
As of the night of November 21, many villagers remained stranded. Rescue teams are continuing to deploy boats and canoes to deliver food and evacuate those still trapped, but deep water is slowing progress.
The story of Bui Minh Nhan and his volunteer team is one of countless acts of compassion and courage in Khanh Hoa, as local communities come together in the face of historic floods.
Phuoc Sang & Nguyen Hue
Vietnamnet.vn
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