Overnight dike patching

Due to the impact of storm No. 5, Thanh Hoa province has faced widespread flooding, seriously affecting people's lives. Many dikes and drainage canals have encountered problems, including a section of dike tens of meters long and the T2 drainage canal in Tong Son commune that broke, submerging more than 200 hectares of rice. On the morning of August 27, the Hoat River rose, threatening thousands of households and hundreds of hectares of crops in Hoat Giang commune and Bim Son ward. Faced with the critical situation, nearly 200 officers and soldiers of Regiment 48 (Division 390, Corps 12) and the Regional Defense Command (PTKV) 2-Ha Trung, Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command were mobilized to the scene to prevent overflow on Provincial Road 523. Soldiers and vehicles urgently packed soil and built embankments to protect the downstream area.

The Defense Command of Region 2-Ha Trung (Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command) evacuates people from the isolated area in Kim Tan commune. Photo: KHANH TRINH

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quang Hoa, Deputy Chief of Staff of Division 390, said: “The unit has proactively coordinated with local authorities since the beginning of the year to develop plans for natural disaster prevention, control and search and rescue. Officers and soldiers have been trained in response and search and rescue plans, especially in key areas, thanks to which the coordination work is very smooth and effective.”

Captain Nguyen Dinh Hieu, Battalion Commander of Battalion 2, Regiment 48, shared: "The troops are racing against time to ensure safety for the entire northern downstream area of ​​the Hoat River". The soldiers' tireless work spirit was highly appreciated by Comrade Phung Tien Dung, Chairman of the Hoat Giang Commune People's Committee: "The troops are highly disciplined and enthusiastically help the people. In addition to the work of preventing overflows, the Army units also actively support people in evacuating and ensuring traffic".

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Linh, Political Commissar of the PTKV 2-Ha Trung Command, said that the unit had mobilized more than 20 officers and employees, along with the police and militia forces, to evacuate 33 households (over 100 people) in the area outside the dike in Dai Son village, Linh Toai commune. In addition, about 5 tons of rice and hundreds of livestock and poultry were also transported to a safe place.

In La Thach village, Kim Tan commune, the Buoi river water rose high, isolating the village. The PTKV 2-Ha Trung Command continued to mobilize more than 20 officers and employees to coordinate with other forces, using 4 motorboats to transport people to neighboring areas for safe shelter.

Viettel Nghe An technical staff fix telecommunications system problems. Photo: NGOC ANH

Army helps electricity and telecommunications

After the storm, on the coastal roads of Ha Tinh , rows of electric poles were broken, wires were tangled across the road. The storm damaged 2 high-voltage poles, 222 medium-voltage poles, 537 low-voltage poles, and 66 meters; many power lines were broken, leaving many areas in darkness. In Nghe An, storm No. 5 caused 27 medium-voltage lines with 1,004 transformer stations to lose power, equivalent to 104,000 customers in the Vinh City area (formerly) losing power. The electricity sector of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces mobilized maximum forces, materials and means to focus on checking, fixing problems, and prioritizing the restoration of power to important loads. The Northern Power Corporation promptly sent hundreds of officials and employees to Nghe An and Ha Tinh to restore the power system after the storm.

Quang Tri Power Company focused on completing the restoration of the power grid in the province, and sent 55 officers, workers, and many specialized vehicles, equipment, and materials to Ky Anh commune (Ha Tinh) to support the locality in overcoming the damage after the storm. The shock team, consisting of officers, engineers, and workers with experience in handling incidents and natural disasters, quickly surveyed the scene and determined the amount of work to be done in advance. Mr. Vo Van Hung, Deputy Head of Technical Department, Quang Tri Power Company informed: "We are determined to carry out our tasks with the highest sense of responsibility, trying to complete the tasks in the fastest time, contributing to stabilizing the lives and production of people in the area".

Officers and soldiers of Division 390, Corps 12 overcome the overflow of Provincial Road 523 in Hoat Giang Commune, Thanh Hoa Province. Photo: KHANH TRINH

In order to restore the power grid to serve the people's daily life as soon as possible, on the night the storm weakened, Nghe An Electricity Company established 4 shock teams with 53 members from affiliated units that were not much affected by the storm to support units that suffered heavy damage. The shock teams were fully equipped with vehicles, tools, equipment, cranes and specialized equipment, determined to support Nghe An to restore the power grid as soon as possible to serve the people.

Officers and soldiers of Division 390, Corps 12 overcome the overflow of Provincial Road 523 in Hoat Giang Commune, Thanh Hoa Province. Photo: KHANH TRINH

Along with that, the Nghe An Provincial Military Command has sent more than 250 officers and soldiers to directly support the electricity sector in cutting down fallen trees on the power lines to quickly restore the power grid. Mr. Pham Cong Thanh, Director of Nghe An Power Company, said: "Thanks to the timely support of officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command with scientific and effective organization methods, by the afternoon of August 27, Nghe An Power Company had restored 25/27 medium voltage lines, along with nearly 1,000 transformer stations, 87,000 customers had electricity. It is expected that by the end of the day, the entire power grid in the former Vinh City area will be restored."

Quang Tri Electricity Company increased its forces to support Ha Tinh electricity sector in overcoming the problem. Photo: NGUYEN THANH

Along with electricity, the telecommunications industry also suffered heavy losses. In Ha Tinh and Nghe An, many broadcasting stations were crushed by strong winds and fallen trees; telecommunications cables were broken. On the night of August 26, the peak of the communication loss occurred when about 30% of the total 600 broadcasting stations in Ha Tinh stopped operating, concentrated in Nghi Xuan, Cam Xuyen and Ky Anh town (formerly). Thanks to the reinforcement of more than 1,300 technical staff and equipment, by August 27, the rate of stations losing signal was only about 20% and efforts are being made to restore the remaining ones as soon as possible. Nearly 500 engineers from the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel) from many provinces and cities were mobilized to Nghe An, working 24/7 to restore network infrastructure. In particular, in the face of widespread power outages, network operators have opened a series of free battery charging points at stores, broadcasting stations and commune cluster headquarters, helping people maintain communication during emergency hours. Up to now, basic mobile signal has been restored, and internet network points are continuing to be fixed.

Reporters at Military Region 4

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/khan-cap-ho-de-khoi-phuc-he-thong-dien-va-vien-thong-sau-bao-843488