Identifying prevention as the most effective solution, the party committee and authority of Mường Lạn commune have proactively recognized risks, formulated response plans, and promptly evacuated residents from dangerous zones, keeping natural disaster damages to the absolute minimum.

Two years after the landslide in the 2024 rainy season, Cà Văn Phúc from Pí village, Mường Lạn commune, has still not forgotten his narrow escape. He recalled that at around 2:00 AM on the day of the landslide, while sleeping, he suddenly heard a loud noise and the whole house shook. Opening the door to check, he witnessed rocks and soil from the hill behind collapsing, burying almost the entire under-floor area of his stilt house along with many family assets.

“Fortunately, that night I felt uneasy so I went to the upper room to sleep. After the incident, I realized I had been too subjective,” Phúc shared.

This incident became a profound lesson, constantly reminding him and his family to proactively prevent and avoid natural disasters whenever entering the rainy and stormy season.

Prior to the incident, the local government had repeatedly propagated and warned that this area was at risk of landslides, mobilizing the family to relocate to safety. However, Phúc subjectively assumed that because his family’s residence had faced no incidents for decades, he refused to move. Only when witnessing a massive volume of rocks and soil crash down upon his house did he realize his own subjectivity and deeply understand the meaning of proactively preventing and avoiding natural disasters.

During the 2025 rainy season, as the Háng Pu Xi area struggled under severe flash floods and landslides, prolonged heavy rains also blanketed Hua Ná village, a territory bordering Háng Pu Xi. Soil and rocks on the hillside showed signs of shifting, and multiple cracks appeared after each downpour. Recognizing the imminent landslide risk, the Mường Lạn commune government decided to urgently evacuate four households to safety. Just a few days later, a massive volume of rocks and soil from the hillside collapsed right onto the spot where the households had just departed.

Recalling the incident, Vice Chairman of the Mường Lạn commune People’s Committee Vũ Tiến Thặng still vividly remembers the days spent straining to respond to the rains and floods. He said the decision to relocate was made when many people were still skeptical because no landslide had occurred yet. When the rocks and soil finally came crashing down onto the exact area the households had just vacated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If they had not drastically mobilized and organized the evacuation that day, the consequences would likely have been unpredictable.

From these “races” against natural disasters, Mường Lạn commune cadres came to understand that the most important thing is not recovering after a landslide, but detecting risks before the ground collapses. Therefore, with the arrival of each rainy season, key vulnerable points are put under close monitoring, and every piece of feedback reported by residents is inspected on the very same day.

In Huổi Lướng village: Following days of prolonged heavy rain, signs of slipping appeared behind the family house of Vừ A Cho, as rocks and soil from the hillside continuously fell, directly threatening their residence. Upon catching the news, the commune government coordinated with local forces in the village to urgently inspect the scene, mobilizing residents to clear vegetation, open up water flows, and reinforce vulnerable spots. Thanks to the timely response, the risk was controlled, and Cho’s family house safely weathered the heavy downpours.

In Lịch Nưa village: Another situation placed the local government under an immediate call to action. The house of Lường Văn Thăm’s family was situated directly beneath the cut slope of a road under construction. Following days of rain, the slope showed signs of instability, harboring a landslide risk at any moment. Facing this situation, the commune government persistently propagated and mobilized the family to relocate to safety. The decision was made before any incident had occurred, but this was the way to proactively respond, eliminating risk from the very beginning.

Through reviews, currently within the territory of Mường Lạn commune, only one household with five members - the family of Lò Văn Hoa in Lịch Tở village - remains situated in a landslide-prone area.

According to the commune government, in the immediate future, the commune is formulating a plan to temporarily relocate the family members to safety during heavy rains or when abnormal developments arise. Concurrently, the commune is coordinating with specialized departments to survey and research options for arranging a suitable new residential site, helping the family stabilize their lives in the long term and ensuring safety against natural disaster risks.

Under the motto of “preventing early on and from afar,” keeping damages to public lives and assets to the absolute minimum, the party committee and authority of Mường Lạn commune continue to promote a proactive spirit. They aim to elevate the efficiency of risk identification, prepare practical response plans, and promptly handle arising situations, while concurrently stepping up dissemination to upgrade the public’s awareness and compliance with warnings and evacuation plans during natural disasters, viewing this as a vital factor in protecting public lives and property against increasingly complex weather developments.