A man drives on a makeshift crossing built from several concrete panels through the stream in Ban Loong Village.
Leading reporters into the hamlet, La Van Du, Ban Loong Party Secretary, said only high-chassis cars can drive through the stream, while people on bicycles or motorbikes must use a makeshift crossing.
The “bridge” is merely several concrete panels placed on two culverts, sitting only a few dozen centimetres above the water. Over time, the panels have cracked, leaving dangerous gaps that make it easy for cyclists and motorcyclists to lose control and fall into the stream.
In the dry season, people can still ford the water, but during the rainy period, rising water cuts off access completely. Villagers are forced to trek along forest paths for hours to reach the outside.
Du said that during heavy rain, fast-flowing water isolates all 112 households with about 530 residents. Several people have nearly died of acute appendicitis during floods because they could not reach hospital in time. Schoolchildren also frequently miss classes when water rises.
Ban Loong villagers are isolated by rising floods on the stream on September 30, 2025.
Transport and the trade of farm produce are heavily disrupted, deepening hardship.
Hoang Thi Binh, 70, who lives by the stream, said that for decades she has seen repeated floods isolating the hamlet and severely affecting people’s travel, especially students.
Speaking through Dantri/Dtinews, she expressed hope that readers and philanthropists will join local authorities in helping villagers build a safe, permanent bridge.
Do Viet Dung, chairman of Duong Hong Commune, told Dantri/Dtinews that the commune’s rugged terrain and sparse population make travel and economic development difficult.
A corner of Ban Loong Village
Of the commune’s 11,247 residents, the majority are Dao people, making up 62.47 per cent, followed by Tay, Nung and Kinh.
Although Duong Hong has received some State investment in infrastructure in recent years, the needs remain unmet, especially in remote hamlets.
Six hamlets still lack access to the national electricity grid, four have no mobile signal and three have no concrete road.
Ban Loong is among the most disadvantaged hamlets, particularly in terms of transport. On behalf of the commune’s authorities and residents, Dung called on Dantri/Dtinews and its readers to support the construction of a bridge for Ban Loong.
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