Deeply meaningful Vietnamese rescue team in Myanmar

After returning home, Head of the Ministry of Public Security's rescue team, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, Deputy Director of the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department (PCCC & CNCH), shared with reporters of Tin Tuc and Dan Toc newspaper about the rescue trip in Myanmar after the terrible earthquake.

Every moment, sound, emotion remained intact in Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong's heart. Many times his throat choked up, he had to stop to stabilize his emotions... In that silence, we understood that behind that seasoned military uniform was a heart filled with sorrow, constantly thinking about the less fortunate fates, but also full of will and determination to support our friendly country in the "war" without gunfire.

Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong shared with reporters of Tin Tuc and Dan Toc newspaper.

“Rescue the living, find the dead” in the rubble

At 6:00 p.m. on March 30, the Vietnamese rescue team arrived at Yangon International Airport, Myanmar. According to initial estimates, the journey from Yangon Airport to the capital Naypyidaw would take about 5 hours, but that day the team had to travel nearly 9 hours to reach the meeting point.

The scenery on both sides of the road was like slow-motion footage. The first sights that caught Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong's eyes were the cracked roads, the buildings that were now just ruins, the roofs that used to be the homes of families now desolate and in disarray. These ruins made the journey of the group difficult, but also served as an unspoken reminder: The people here needed the presence of Vietnamese officers and soldiers.

At 3:00 p.m. on March 31, three heavy trucks carrying more than 60 tons of equipment and supplies finally arrived at the assembly point. Because along the way, the convoy had to stop many times for the forces to check whether there were any weapons inside?...

The first victim to be brought out was a 10-year-old child. But no miracle happened, the child died. “When we brought him out of the scene, his body was still soft. He may have died only about half a day ago. Due to the actual conditions, if we had arrived earlier, we might have been able to save him…”, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong’s voice choked up.

From those regrets, the officers and soldiers in the Vietnamese rescue team in Myanmar told themselves to continue to make more efforts and wondered: How to race against time, save the lives of the victims, as well as quickly search for the victims, and return them to their families and loved ones...

The Colonel recalled the times he and his comrades faced the most difficult situation, when they rescued an 80-year-old woman trapped under the rubble. It took two days for the soldiers to get her out. The day before, despite their efforts, by 7 p.m., the rescue work had not been completed. Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong decided to let his comrades go home to rest, everyone was worried and worried...

“That night, many officers and soldiers could not sleep. Their minds were wandering: “What should we do tomorrow morning? How can we get him out as quickly as possible…?” I myself tossed and turned until nearly 1am before falling asleep. But not long after, I suddenly woke up around 3am… full of anxiety. The next day, we immediately started to implement plans to resolve the situation, we worked hard from early morning until late afternoon in an environment filled with deathly aura…”, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong recounted.

Video recording the activities of the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security's CNCH Delegation in Myanmar:

The weather in the capital Naypyidaw, Myanmar, is quite harsh, with daytime temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. In that thick heat, the Vietnamese rescue team had to face a challenge more severe than the heat, which was the smell of death emanating from the decomposing bodies.

“To limit the smell of death, officers and soldiers used essential oils to drop into the layers of masks to cover up the smell. However, after each shift, some soldiers had nosebleeds, their nasal mucosa was spicy, hot and ruptured…”, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong shared.

Every time he approached the bodies of the victims, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong always instructed the members of the team to work for about 30 minutes, then they had to change to another person. Because the strong smell of death from the decomposing bodies of the victims could have a significant impact on the rescue process, as well as the health of the team members.

In 2023, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong also carried out rescue operations for Turkish people after the terrible earthquake. But this rescue trip to Myanmar was more difficult and challenging. The Colonel shared that in Türkiye, the characteristics of the construction site where the Vietnamese delegation was on duty were that the buildings had often completely collapsed, turning into chaotic rubble. In that situation, the delegation asked the other side to support them with mechanical machinery to unload each layer of heavy materials, opening the way to access. However, when approaching the locations where victims were buried, the delegation could not use scrapers, because even a small mistake could cause their bodies to be crushed. Therefore, when approaching the hot spots, the delegation switched to using specialized drilling, cutting, and breaking equipment. Each drill, each cut had to be carefully calculated, step by step, to save the victims under the concrete layer.

“But at the scene of the devastation in Myanmar, we had to crawl inside the first floor of a collapsed building, the upper floors completely pressing down on the lower floors, creating a dangerous pile of concrete. To reach the victims, we had to chisel the floor, cut the floor, even break the wall, and open the way to the adjacent positions. Every step forward was potentially dangerous, just a small aftershock, the concrete blocks above could collapse at any time...”, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong recounted.

Despite many difficulties, above all, with determination and the spirit of “mutual love”, the Vietnamese rescue team has successfully completed the sacred mission assigned by the Fatherland. They not only brought machinery and equipment, but also brought compassion, brought the beautiful image of the brave, humane and compassionate Vietnamese people, leaving a deep impression in the hearts of international friends.

The scene of devastation after the earthquake disaster in Myanmar. Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Public Security

One of the 7 victims that the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security's rescue team directly searched for and brought out of the scene. Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Public Security

A Vietnam full of love

Returning to Vietnam after the trip, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong still could not sleep well. There were moments that haunted him forever. In a conversation with reporters, he choked up when recalling the image of a child who had lost a leg after the earthquake. The child was so young that he could only cry and call his mother to hold him, but because he was so badly injured, he could not sit up. That was one of the moments that made the leaders of the delegation unable to hold back their emotions.

Besides, there is the moment of witnessing patients with traumatic brain injuries being treated outdoors, draining fluid from the brain, in an unsafe treatment environment, the victims are at high risk of infection... And the image of a mother standing outside absentmindedly waiting for her child, her eyes sad, her arms covered with pink spots from mosquito bites...

Especially the last scene that the Ministry of Public Security rescue team carried out at Jade City Hotel, the area was assessed as the most complicated and potentially dangerous.

“The hotel is 9 stories high, but the entire first floor collapsed after the earthquake, the 8 floors above completely crushed the first floor area. The structures here could collapse at any time if the rescue work is not guaranteed. To be able to reach the victim's location, the officers and soldiers had to crawl from the outer edge to the inside about 10 meters, because the position of the first floor adjacent to the upper floors is only about 50 cm apart, very narrow,” Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong recalled.

Before carrying out the mission, the whole team reinforced each position and set up temporary escape points so that if an earthquake occurred, everyone would have a way to retreat. Each step forward was a gamble, but no one faltered.

Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong presents gifts and visits the victims. Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Public Security

Rescue teams from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam assist victims at a field hospital. Photo: Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam

Lieutenant General Nguyen Tuan Anh, Director of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) presents relief goods to Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein. Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Public Security

“During the search and rescue process, we also turned water bottles upside down and placed them at the scene to warn of vibrations. Normally, the cross-section of the bottle cap when turned upside down is very small, so when there is a slight vibration, the water bottles can also be overturned, at which point we will have to stop working and immediately leave the scene,” Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong shared.

When the victims were brought out of the rubble and received praise and admiration from other international delegations, for the resilience and spirit of not fearing difficulties and dangers of the Vietnamese delegation, Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong and his teammates felt warm.

In addition to the search and rescue mission, the Vietnamese working group also promptly organized medical examinations, first aid, bandage changes, disinfection and medicine distribution for more than 50 injured people. Two tents were set up as temporary shelters for families living under the open sky. During the relief journey, the group also sprayed disinfectants and killed mosquitoes in affected residential areas, organized mass mobilization activities, etc. In addition, they helped survivors of the earthquake; visited and encouraged victims who were receiving intensive treatment.

“For all the victims we pulled out of the rubble, we shared with their families and provided some financial support to help them initially overcome their difficulties and losses,” said Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong.

What makes the soldiers most proud is receiving the love and affection of the people in Myanmar. The times the soldiers went to the local market to buy vegetables, spices... When they saw the familiar color of the uniform, the Myanmar people asked: "Are you from the Vietnamese delegation?"... Then they refused to accept the money. They shook their heads, smiled, their eyes shining with sincere gratitude. However, the soldiers said thank you, sent money and explained: "We went on a mission with the support of the Government . We must pay because we understand that you are also having difficulties...", said Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong.

Those are the stories and moments that make the members of the delegation emotional, proud and happy when their efforts are recognized and appreciated by the local people. Simple thanks, grateful eyes or just a firm handshake are enough to motivate the doctors and soldiers to continue to strive and dedicate themselves...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/dam-nghia-tinh-doan-cuu-ho-viet-nam-tai-myanmar-20250417222137467.htm