Hoa Binh and An Lac villages in Hanoi's Soc Son District have been flooded due to long-lasting downpours following typhoon Yagi. Water levels in both the Cau and Ca Lo rivers around the district rose quickly, submerging multiple houses and paralyzing traffic. People had to travel around on boats.
Since Sept. 10, floodwater has inundated over 3,300 houses that are home to 15,600 people in Soc Son District.
On Thursday, the water was still deep enough to submerge the gates of the Hoa Binh Village cultural house. Around 600 families in the village were isolated by the floodwater.
Doan, 59, has a two-story house (pictured) in Hoa Binh Village that is considered to be the tallest in the village. Nevertheless, the first floor has already been inundated by over a meter.
Doan stashed his family's belongings on the second floor, while the first floor is for the family's cattle and poultry.
Several people in Hoa Binh Village traveled to Doan's house to help move three motorbikes onto boats and bring them elsewhere. Many of Doan's belongings have been damaged after being soaked in water for days.
Doan's family has two buffalos. Three days prior, the floods came, forcing Doan to bring the animals onto higher grounds. They eventually ended up on the chairs and tables of the house.
"All we have are the buffalos. Only by getting them out can we be assured, as the floodwater has not receded," Doan said, adding that the animals have been eating straws over the last few days.
Dao Xuan Luong, 37, traveled back home on a boat to see if his family's belongings and two tons of rice were safe on the porch. When the floods came three days prior, he had to use a scaffold to keep the rice away from the water.
Over 100 chickens, pigs and buffalos of Luong have been brought to a relative's house in downtown Soc Son. Luong himself have been helping people to evacuate over the past two days, occasionally coming back home to check his belongings.
The house of Nguyen Van Quynh, 40, is one of the most flooded locations in Trung Gia Commune.
Before the floods came, Quynh and his wife had managed to relocate two tons of rice, along with other belongings. The family's motorbike however has been submerged underwater. They have been evacuated, but Quynh still returns regularly to feed his dogs and chickens.
Luong brought three dogs to take refuge on a staircase once the rain died down. With his family evacuated, Luong remained alone to watch over the family's belongings.
On Thursday, rescue personnel continued to access every nook and cranny in the villages to encourage people to evacuate. Many wanted to stay back to watch over their properties.
In the photo, a woman (3rd, L) agreed to evacuate after three days guarding her house.
As the water can continue to rise, the family of Nguyen Thi Huong Mai (L) asked rescue personnel to help relocate their belongings for evacuation.
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (2nd, L), 35, and her family are evacuated on a boat at around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday.
Nguyet's family does fishing for a living, but the mother and her two sons, 11 and 13 years old, do not know how to swim. Nguyet said the water has already flooded their house's first floor, and the family has been relying on food and water from benefactors and authorities.
"We do have a gas stove so we can cook rice, but we lack other food and water. We were lucky to receive help in time," Nguyet said.
