In My Dien Village, collapsing walls and torn-off roofs line a neighborhood, part of the hundreds of houses damaged by flooding across Hoa Thinh Commune.
Hoa Thinh spans more than 159 square kilometers with over 30,000 residents. With a “basin-shaped” terrain surrounded by rivers and lakes, it has become one of the deepest flooded areas in Dak Lak, isolated for days.
Vo Thi Bong’s single-storey house in Phu Huu village, Hoa Thịnh Commune is now just a pile of rubble after the flood.
On the morning of Nov. 22, after waters receded, she returned home to salvage her belongings. Photo by An Bang
The house of Le Van Chanh, 40, in My Xuan 1 Village also had its wall swept away by floodwaters.
Fans, a refrigerator and a washing machine were all damaged and waterlogged.
Next door, the kitchen of 28-year-old Nguyen Van Hung’s house collapsed, burying many of his belongings.
The floodwaters nearly reached the roof, forcing Hung and his wife and children to seek shelter at a neighbor’s house.
Nguyen Huu Tam’s repair shop was buried in mud, leaving more than 30 motorbikes and much equipment ruined.
“I don’t know where I’ll get the money to compensate customers,” he said.
In a nearby home, Nguyen Thai Hoc, 41, saw his house and many household items submerged by floodwaters.
On the morning of Nov. 22 he spread ten bags of rice out to dry in the house and yard.
During the peak of the flooding he sheltered with his wife and three children on the roof, bringing only a gas stove and a little rice to get by.
Late afternoon, many people in Hoa Thinh commune went to the rice fields and river banks to search for belongings swept away by the flood.
On Saturday the relief point at the Hoa Thinh Commune Cultural Center was crowded with people collecting food and supplies.
Dozens of relief teams had come to deliver assistance.
