The relentless downpour from July 31 to the early hours of August 1 claimed 10 lives and injured 12 others, including children whose dreams were left unfinished. The floods left 554 homes buried in mud, 73 of them completely swept away. A lifetime of savings and possessions vanished overnight. In communes such as Xa Dung, Tìa Dình, Na Son, Mường Luân, and Phình Giàng, scenes of destruction were heart-wrenching: sturdy stilt houses reduced to piles of timber, lush rice paddies - the hope of an entire season - buried under meters of mud and rock.

Critical infrastructure was also heavily damaged: 10 public offices, schools, and health stations; 14 irrigation and water supply facilities; and four hydropower plants. More than 500 landslides cut off roads, turning many villages into isolated “islands.” Total losses are estimated at VND 500 billion.

In the face of this disaster, the entire political system and residents of Điện Biên moved with unprecedented urgency. The provincial Party Standing Committee dispatched working groups to the hardest-hit areas to offer condolences, direct rescue operations, and coordinate relief. The “four on-the-spot” principle (on-site leadership, manpower, equipment, and logistics) was fully applied. Over 1,200 soldiers and police officers waded through mud, crossed rivers, and trekked through forests to reach isolated areas and search for the missing.

In Háng Pu Xi village, Xa Dung commune, where dozens of homes were destroyed and two children were buried under mud, landslides blocked the only road in. Heavy machinery couldn’t get through. More than 100 officers pushed motorbikes through passable sections, then abandoned them to walk nearly 10 kilometers over slippery slopes, wading through knee-deep mud and skirting dangerous landslides to reach the site as quickly as possible.

Colonel Lương Anh Tuấn, Deputy Head of the provincial Police’s Mobile Police Division, recalled: “Everyone was exhausted, but thinking of the children trapped down there, we pushed ourselves to move faster. When darkness fell and we had no machinery or lighting, we had to stop. That night, we shared instant noodles, drank water, picked a few wild greens, and waited for morning to continue.”

In Na Son commune, the worst flooding in three decades swept away six homes and left over 100 households with nothing. Local authorities mobilized residents to clear mud, rebuild, and salvage what little remained. Public health and disease prevention became top priorities, with clean water, food, and supplies delivered directly to each family by authorities and donors, providing encouragement for residents in the three Suối Lư villages to quickly stabilize their lives after the flood.

“We’re doing everything we can to clean up homes and restore social welfare”, said Nguyễn Thanh Lâm, Vice Chairman of the Na Son commune People’s Committee. “But given the challenges of the highlands, we hope agencies and benefactors can provide essential supplies, especially food and medicine, so people can recover.”

Thanks to tireless efforts, all missing persons have been found, the injured treated, and displaced families relocated to safe areas. No one has been left behind, and no one is going hungry or without shelter.

These days, all of Điện Biên is rallying toward the disaster zone. Aid trucks, sacks of rice, boxes of noodles, and warm clothes are making their way over treacherous mountain roads. Chảo Mắn On, a resident of Điện Biên Phủ ward, was among the first to arrive in Háng Pu Xi once access was restored. Fighting back tears, she said: “When I heard two children had died, I couldn’t stand by. I called for donations and brought cash and gifts to 22 households, and gave VND10 million to the family who lost both children. It’s not much, but it’s from our hearts.”

Many others from Điện Biên Phủ, Mường Thanh, and even from other provinces have joined in, carrying love and hope to flood survivors. Most touching of all, unaffected villagers have taken in families who lost their homes, sharing meals and clothing. Fires are lit, pots of hot rice and porridge simmer, and the warmth of community spreads, easing the pain nature has left behind.

The mud will be cleared, but the losses will remain etched in the memory of Điện Biên. The road ahead is long, and the people of the flood-hit areas need the collective strength of the whole community to rebuild homes and replant the seeds of life on land that has endured nature’s fury. May these acts of compassion not be fleeting, but become a lasting source of strength for a new beginning.