September 10 marks one year since a deadly flood swept through Lang Nu Village in Phuc Khanh Commune. A massive landslide unleashed around 1.6 million cubic metres of soil, rock, mud, and water onto the once-peaceful village. In just five minutes, the disaster buried and wiped out nearly 40 homes, leaving 67 people dead or missing and injuring 14 others.
Residents of Lang Nu have had a new life in the resettlement area built two kilometres from their former village.
The 10-hectare Lang Nu resettlement site, situated on a hill, features 40 stilt houses, a 300-square-metre community hall, and a 200-square-metre school with two primary classrooms and two kindergarten classrooms, all fully equipped with telecommunications, electricity, and water.
Lush flower gardens now surround the new homes, bringing life back to a village that endured immense pain and loss in the historic flood.
Most Lang Nu villagers still work as labourers or farm on their old land. Village head Hoang Van Diep said authorities are restoring the Nu Stream, with plans to reopen its channel and cover both banks with fertile soil for household cultivation.
Many women in Lang Nu and nearby villages have joined embroidery classes to earn extra income. The work allows them to stay close to home, care for their families, and still secure a stable monthly income of VND 6-9 million.
A new primary school for local children has also been built.
Gia Bao, 8, lost both parents in the flash flood, with only his older brother left. He himself was buried under mud, rocks, and floodwater, but was miraculously rescued by villagers. Later taken to Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi, he endured months of hardship battling severe pain and serious injuries.
The former Lang Nu Village cultural house has been turned into an exhibition space displaying photos of the 2024 disaster. Outside stands a memorial with a stone tablet inscribed with the names of the 67 victims of the flash flood.
Secretary of the Lao Cai Party Committee Trinh Xuan Truong, Editor-in-Chief of Dantri Newspaper Pham Tuan Anh and local officials offered incense in memory of the flash flood victims in Lang Nu.
Following the flash flood, Dantri Newspaper, together with Phuc Khanh Commune and the Lao Cai Department of Home Affairs, inaugurated a road linking Lang Nu and Tri Trong villages. The newspaper also carried out 13 relief trips, delivering nearly VND 3 billion, 19.2 tonnes of rice, and 11 tonnes of essential goods.
In late August, Dantri newspaper allocated VND 360 million from donations raised at its 20th anniversary celebration to fund the construction of charity houses for six disadvantaged families in Phuc Khanh Commune.