Disaster Relief in Myanmar: Gratitude to Vietnam

"I'm so moved I don't know what to say"

“I thought it would be impossible to get my father out, but you did it. I am so touched that I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much,” said the son of a victim of the March 28 earthquake, Mr. U Maung Tin, when his father’s body was found and returned to his family on the morning of April 1.

According to Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Department of Rescue and Relief (General Staff), Head of the Vietnam People's Army delegation participating in supporting the recovery of the earthquake in Myanmar, the rescue work took place early in the morning, but encountered many difficulties because when using equipment to separate and drill concrete, the structure could easily collapse, causing danger to the rescue team. However, with the efforts and determination to overcome the difficulties, after more than 4 hours, the rescue team of the Vietnam People's Army was able to bring the old man's body out and hand it over to his family for funeral arrangements.

It is known that some rescue forces had arrived at the scene before, but they either could not locate the deceased man or could not carry out the rescue successfully.

Rescue forces of the Vietnam People's Army carry the body of a victim out of the collapsed building.

Also on the morning of April 1, a representative of the rescue team of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam on duty in Myanmar said that this force had pulled the body of a victim out of the rubble at Building No. 5 of the 1,000-bed Hospital in Zabuthiri, the capital of Naypyidaw. The victim was Kaung Khant K., 14 years old.

Also feeling grateful was Ms. Phyo Pa Pa Moe, of building number 2367, when her family's accumulated wealth over many years was found in the rubble by Vietnamese soldiers of the Army of Engineers and returned.

Captain Yar Zar, Fire Prevention and Fighting Department, Ministry of Home Affairs of Myanmar, emotionally said: “When they arrived here, the Vietnamese rescue team tried to search very specifically. Currently, both Myanmar and Vietnam are trying to find the victims, whether alive or dead. Please try to help us find them, thank you very much!”

Earlier, on the evening of March 30, when welcoming the rescue team of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security to Myanmar to support earthquake relief efforts, the Yangon Governor thanked Vietnam for its quick response, emphasizing the good feelings between the two countries.

Race against time, regardless of darkness or danger

Immediately after leaving the airport, the rescue team of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam traveled by car to the assembly point in the capital Naypyidaw, more than 450km from Yangon, to discuss and coordinate with the other side in implementing plans to search for victims. Throughout the night of March 31 and the morning of April 1, the Vietnamese rescue team raced against time, urgently implementing search and rescue.

With the highest sense of responsibility, regardless of the darkness and danger, the Vietnam People's Army quickly searched each location to search for victims and help the people of Myanmar overcome the losses caused by the earthquake. On the evening of March 31, in Zabuthiri town, the capital Naypyidaw, the relief team of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security found and brought out the body of a 10-year-old boy, handing him over to the authorities and relatives.

Many solutions have been proposed to deal with the situation. In the absence of large machinery and the inability to use drills, using only tools and human power, and in the absence of electricity… however, this has not diminished the sense of responsibility of the Vietnamese task force. All are still racing against time to urgently search for life in the huge piles of rubble.

Ha Nguyen

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cuu-tro-tham-hoa-tai-myanmar-cam-kich-viet-nam-post341222.html