Young man smashed wall to save person: Hit until arm dislocated, can't remember how many hammer blows

Dong Van Tuan and the moment he broke the wall to save people - Photo: Provided by people - HONG QUANG

Late afternoon of May 24, as usual, Dong Van Tuan (born in 2003, from Nam Dinh) drove his motorbike, joining the crowded crowd on the street near rush hour. Today, the alley where he rented a room was covered in a mournful atmosphere, with groups of people coming and going. Their faces could not hide their sadness, their eyes filled with tears, mourning the 14 unfortunate people.

In the yellow jacket of the ride-hailing app, few people realized that the 21-year-old man was the main character in the clip of him climbing a ladder topless and using a hammer to smash a wall to save someone, which is being shared by many people on social networks.

Breaking the wall to save a person after a motorbike taxi ride to make a living

"I haven't received many jobs today. I went back to work at around 3:30 p.m.," Tuan said, after a nearly sleepless night participating in the rescue.

Late at night is the time when he takes advantage of going to work to earn extra income because there is "less competition" at this time, so the income is also better. The young man and his roommate's dinner is therefore "unscheduled" compared to usual.

At 12:00 a.m. on May 24, when the fire engulfed the house in alley 43/98/31 Trung Kinh street, Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Dong Van Tuan and his friend Hoang Van Nguyen (born in 2002) were having a half-eaten meal after a long day of driving a motorbike taxi. Hearing 2-3 loud explosions, followed by shouts, Tuan quickly went to his neighbor's house to check, without even putting on his shirt.

The night was dark, the scene was chaotic, before the two young men's eyes was a raging fire, spreading to the gate. Nguyen quickly found a fire extinguisher to spray directly on the fire, but all efforts were in vain. Then they and a few neighbors heard cries for help and the bright light of a flashlight coming from a room on the second floor.

With the help of a sledgehammer lent by another neighbor, when he climbed up, Tuan held onto the ladder with one hand and used the other hand to hammer the wall, creating an escape route for the trapped person. When asked again, Tuan said he could not remember how many times he had hammered. He had hit until his finger was dislocated when someone came up to help him break it down further. After a few minutes, Nguyen came to help and helped him get the victim out.

The moment Dong Van Tuan used a hammer to break the wall to rescue people in a fire at a motel in Hanoi

The young man born in 2003 said the hammer was quite heavy, about 4-5kg. "I only dislocated my arm, it's just a minor injury, I'm fine," Tuan added about his condition, nearly a day after the incident.

Hoang Van Nguyen, on the other hand, vividly remembers the people who were rescued through the wall that his roommate and neighbors tried to break down. It was a family of three. "I clearly remember a little boy, about 7-8 years old," Nguyen said, saying that everything happened in a flash.

Hoang Van Nguyen (roommate) and Tuan joined in the rescue. In addition, Hoang Tuan also held the ladder for Dong Van Tuan - Photo: Provided by the character

"I'm not a hero, anyone would do the same in that situation."

When the clip recording Dong Van Tuan using a hammer to save people was shared on social media, he continued his work on the road. Knowing that many people call him a "hero", Tuan said: "'I am not a hero. In that situation, anyone would do the same, because the most important thing is to save people."

This afternoon, Tuan still hid the story from his mother in the countryside because he was afraid that she would worry. However, the story was shared widely, and when his mother heard the news, she immediately called her son. She could not hide her pride but did not forget to remind her son to be careful.

"I take on people and deliver goods. Whenever there is an order or a customer, I drive. Every day I drive hundreds of kilometers, sunny or rainy. The money I earn is used to support myself and save to send to my mother," the 21-year-old man continued.

Tonight, the alley where Tuan and Nguyen live is still under control of the authorities to complete legal procedures and funerals for the victims. After finishing work, the two young men will stay at their relatives' house for a few days to continue their work.

Receiving compliments from the online community, Tuan and Nguyen both said they felt motivated to do more good things every day they make a living on the road.

As soon as receiving the fire alarm, Hanoi City Police mobilized 50 officers and soldiers to the scene to coordinate with other government forces and local people to put out the fire.

At 0:52 a.m. the same day, units arrived at the scene, deployed fire fighting, prevented the fire from spreading, and scouts searched and rescued victims.

Police worked with residents to break the main gate lock, break the window to get inside the house and rescue 7 trapped people. Of these, 3 were injured and taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. By 1:26 a.m., the fire was completely extinguished.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thanh-nien-dap-tuong-cuu-nguoi-dap-den-trat-khop-tay-khong-nho-bao-nhieu-nhat-bua-20240524211030504.htm