Thao Nguyen, owner of a small hotel in Quyet Thang Ward, said she was heartbroken to see people stranded on rooftops amid the rising floodwaters.
“I just thought, if my house still has a dry place while so many out there are in distress, I can’t just stand by,” she said. “As soon as I saw those painful scenes, I posted on Facebook that anyone affected by the floods and without shelter could come to stay at my hotel, completely free of charge.”
Thao Nguyen posts on Facebook that anyone affected by the floods and without shelter could come to stay at her hotel for free.
Soon after, her phone was flooded with calls for help. She prioritised the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those who were ill.
She prepared all 40 rooms, stocked up on drinking water, and turned on the generator to welcome guests. By the early hours of October 8, nearly 120 people, from elderly residents to toddlers, had found safety at her hotel. Among them was a 20-month-old child and a man with a broken leg who had just returned from hospital to find his home submerged to the roof.
“Many areas were cut off by floodwater that day,” Thao Nguyen recalled. “My hotel is on higher ground, so it wasn’t flooded. Roads were deeply inundated, many people ran out of food and clean water, and rescue teams couldn’t reach them yet. I gathered everything I had, instant noodles, milk, biscuits, bottled water, and distributed them to each room. By the second day, thankfully, charity groups had managed to connect with us and began delivering meals three times a day.”
The injured man expressed his gratitude: “When I got home from the hospital, my house was under water. I was lucky that Thao Nguyen took me in. Last year, when typhoon Yagi hit, my house was flooded too, and she also offered me a free room then. I’m deeply moved by her kindness.”
