Major General Pham Van Ty: Rescue in Myanmar is like searching for your own relatives

Senior Lieutenant General Vu Hai San (right), Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Binh (middle), Deputy Chief of the General Staff, talked with Major General Pham Van Ty when the delegation landed at Noi Bai airport on the evening of April 8 - Photo: NAM TRAN

On the evening of April 8, the Vietnamese rescue team in Myanmar safely returned to Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi after more than a week of carrying out their mission.

Like looking for your own relatives

At the airport, Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Department of Rescue and Relief (General Staff), head of the working delegation, shared about the mission in Myanmar in recent days.

Mr. Ty said that the rescue work in Myanmar this time is much more difficult and dangerous than the similar mission in Türkiye in February 2023.

Major General Pham Van Ty said that the Vietnamese rescue team worked in harsh weather conditions such as hot weather and high temperatures.

"Many bodies of victims buried under the rubble after the earthquake have decomposed, directly affecting the health of soldiers on duty. Not only that, small aftershocks continue to appear at the scene, causing the risk of the structure collapsing, posing an ever-present risk," said Mr. Ty.

In addition, according to Mr. Ty, the search work is even more arduous and difficult due to the lack of specialized heavy equipment such as excavators and bulldozers to support.

However, with a high sense of responsibility, the team members still persevered in digging with rudimentary equipment, even with their bare hands, to bring the victims out of the rubble.

"We determined to find the victims as if we were looking for our own relatives and compatriots, for the sake of our brotherly people of Myanmar," Mr. Ty shared.

Miracle in the midst of disaster

Mr. Ty was also moved when recalling one of his unforgettable missions in Myanmar this time.

During the search at Oattara Thiri private hospital, capital Naypyidaw, the team received a report that 17 people were missing and immediately overcame many obstacles, Vietnamese soldiers brought all 17 bodies out of the rubble.

"When the last body was brought out, many Myanmar people, especially the victims' relatives, burst into tears of gratitude. Because many other rescue teams had arrived at the scene before but were unable to reach and bring the victims out.

This can be considered a miracle in the midst of an earthquake disaster that we have achieved, making international rescue forces admire and respect us," Mr. Ty emotionally recounted the story.

As soon as they returned home, the delegation quickly returned to their units and was ready to take on the next missions.

It is expected that tomorrow afternoon, April 9, the Ministry of National Defense will hold a ceremony to commend the Vietnam People's Army delegation that supported Myanmar in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake.

Previously, the Ministry of National Defense sent 80 officers and soldiers along with necessary medical equipment and supplies, 6 service dogs and tons of goods to support Myanmar in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake.

As of 5:30 p.m. on April 6, the Vietnamese rescue team had found and removed 28 bodies from the rubble, and saved one person.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thieu-tuong-pham-van-ty-cuu-ho-o-myanmar-nhu-di-tim-chinh-nguoi-than-cua-minh-20250408212640697.htm