Fifty mechanics gather to help repair flood-damaged motorbikes for residents in Ha Giang 1 Ward, Tuyen Quang Province on October 4-5.
Knowing the urgent demand, Ha, a local garage owner, organised a volunteer team of skilled mechanics. Over the course of two days during the weekend, they repaired nearly 500 motorbikes.
“Our team initially had 25 workers from five local garages and 10 technicians from a lubricant company in Hanoi. As more bikes arrived, we called in 20 additional mechanics from nearby communes to help,” Ha told Dantri/Dtinews.
After a quick meal by the roadside of Nguyen Trai Street, Doan Van Chung, owner of Chung Motor, and his team resumed work, checking each vehicle. He explained that most bikes could not start because water had flooded key components, so the mechanics focused on cleaning spark plugs, air filters, and engine oil systems.
“These are basic steps to get people moving again,” Chung said. “But within five to seven days, owners should take their bikes for a full maintenance check to prevent long-term damage.”
As a mobile rescue team, they lacked some specialised tools, meaning heavily damaged bikes with electrical or engine issues couldn’t be fully restored on-site. Depending on the extent of the damage, each repair took between 30 minutes and an hour to complete.
During the two-day effort, Chung and other shop owners temporarily closed their businesses, covering part of the expenses themselves. “When residents saw their bikes running again, many asked to take photos with us and thanked us online. That meant a lot to the whole team,” he shared.
Working tirelessly from 7 am until late evening, the 50 volunteers completed repairs on 500 motorbikes by the afternoon of October 5.
The repair site was made possible thanks to support from Pham Quang Nhat, a local restaurant owner whose 1,800-square-metre venue was heavily damaged by the floods. Despite his own losses, Nhat offered the space and coordinated with local authorities to host the volunteer mechanics.
Due to power and water outages, the team had to use high-capacity generators, which sometimes caused damage to their equipment. In return, residents brought them meals, drinks, and fruit, and offered places to rest, a gesture that deeply moved the volunteers.
