Vietnamese people support each other during Typhoon Yagi

People without solid shelter have a dinner at Nguyễn Phương Anh's apartment for free of charge in Thanh Xuân District, Hà Nội. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — As super typhoon Yagi raged across northern Việt Nam, the spirit of mutual support and solidarity deeply ingrained in Vietnamese culture was felt by all those impacted by the storm.

Images and video clips showing this spirit online document homeless individuals and those without solid shelter being taken to houses and provided with food, water and safe refuge during the storm, all free of charge; cars and trucks forming long lines to shield motorbikes as they cross bridges; and the sight of motorcyclists being buffeted by the wind, assisted to safety by local residents and emergency services.

Nguyễn Phương Anh, a resident in Thanh Xuân District, Hà Nội, owns two apartments on Nguyễn Tuân Street.

She lives in the lower apartment, while the upper one, a spacious 100sq.m apartment with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, remains vacant.

As the typhoon approached Hà Nội on Saturday, she posted on a social media account offering the vacant apartment to workers seeking temporary shelter during the worst of the storm. She then even offered to cover the cost of taxis to transport people to safe accommodation.

After posting, she received numerous calls from those needing shelter, ultimately accommodating around 40 people in the apartment.

“Thankfully, with the support of the building management and other residents providing blankets and other necessities, everyone at the apartment was well looked after,” she said.

She also prepared food and essential supplies to help everyone through the storm.

Trần Ánh Tuyết, of Đống Đa District, Hà Nội, head of charity group Thiện Tâm 84, offered her 18-room house in Láng Hạ Ward as a shelter during the typhoon.

Besides providing free shelter, Tuyết also covered travel and food expenses for those in need, even arranging taxi rides for those without transportation.

“Having faced financial hardships myself in the past, including enduring flooding during storms in a small house, I understand the struggles people face,” she said.

Witnessing others struggling from a safe, warm place prompted her to clean up her house to offer shelter to those in need.

"My greatest wish is for everyone to stay safe and get through the severe storm," she added.

People have a meal for free when they stay to avoid the typhoon at CoTo View Hotel, in Cô Tô Island District, Quảng Ninh Province. — Photo courtesy of CoTo View Hotel

In Cô Tô Island District, Quảng Ninh Province, 43-year-old Lê Thị Loan, owner of CoTo View Hotel, decided to open her hotel to residents with inadequate housing during the typhoon.

She posted information on social media, including the hotel's address and phone number, to help people find it.

Those unable to reach the hotel were picked up by Loan and her staff in coordination with local authorities.

By the night before the typhoon made landfall, over 40 people from various households on the island had sought refuge at Loan’s hotel.

All the people coming to her hotel were from households with inadequate housing or rented rooms on the island.

The island was without electricity due to the typhoon, but the hotel was running on a generator and meals were provided free of charge.

“In times like these, mutual support and protection are crucial, I think," Loan said.

Crossing the storm together

Two white cars coordinating to escort a motorbike across overpass in Liễu Giai Ward, Hà Nội on Saturday. — Photo taken from social media

A video of two white cars coordinating to escort a motorbike across an overpass in Liễu Giai Ward, Hà Nội during the storm has been widely shared and received millions of interactions on social media over the weekend.

The footage shows a motorcyclist struggling against strong winds during the typhoon.

Fortunately, two car drivers worked together to create a safe passage by driving parallel to each other and shielding the bike from the wind.

Many social media users expressed their emotions about the spirit and kindness of Vietnamese people after watching the clip.

Ánh Dương, a social media user, commented: “I am crying when I watch the clip. My country has a lot of kind hearts.”

Diệu Hà, another social medial user, said: “This is my Việt Nam, this is the unity of Vietnamese people. I am very proud to be Vietnamese.”

A lot of foreigners also commented on the clip, including the following: “Not all heroes wear capes,” “That is incredible human action,” “Thank you Việt Nam for showing this to the world,” and “I was amazed by the unity of Việt Nam.”

Another video showed a convoy of cars and larger vehicles guiding a group of motorbikes across the Nhật Tân Bridge on Saturday afternoon, when torrential rains and very strong winds battered Hà Nội.

Dương Nhường, a 29-year-old from Từ Sơn District in Bắc Ninh Province, was one of those assisted while riding across the bridge.

She recounted that around Saturday noon, she was returning home from work when she encountered strong winds that made it impossible to continue.

“Fortunately, a kind-hearted environmental truck driver slowed down to shield me from the wind,” she said.

Then other cars and trucks followed the first to protect Nhường and other motorbikes, shielding them from strong winds and preventing them from being blown away.

Afterwards, Nhường shared her experience on social media, noting the truck driver’s number plate to express her sincere thanks.

The post garnered nearly 10,000 likes and comments, with many netizens praising the drivers for their heartwarming actions during the storm.

In Hải Phòng City, Lã Xuân Phương, a resident living in a tall building, said that at around 3pm on Saturday he saw a woman struggling to move her motorbike along Hùng Vương Street due to the fierce wind.

The woman had to leave her bike and cling to a traffic divider, fearing the wind would carry her away.

As the rain poured, the woman waited for help.

About 15 minutes later, a white car zipped past but then suddenly reversed.

The driver offered her a ride to shield her from the storm.

Phương then captured the act on his phone and shared it online, which resonated deeply with the community.

He expressed admiration for the driver’s bravery, noting that keeping the car door open in such weather could have been hazardous.

Safety for all

To ensure the safety of residents before the typhoon made landfall, the People's Committee of Cô Tô Island District took decisive action to relocate households living in dilapidated homes to safer locations.

Nearly 800 residents were evacuated to safety during the storm.

The committee, along with local authorities, arranged for staff to manage and oversee evacuation and sheltering at designated safe areas, including assigning leaders and armed forces to each village.

Residents from the A7 Tân Mai dilapidated apartment complex in Hoàng Mai District were evauated to Tân Mai Primary School on Friday night. —VNA/VNS Photo

Similarly, in Hà Nội, on Friday night, 160 residents from the dilapidated A7 Tân Mai apartment complex in Hoàng Mai District were relocated to Tân Mai Primary School, just 300m away, to ensure their safety before the super typhoon hit.

The local government prepared essential supplies such as instant noodles, drinking water and blankets for the evacuees.

The People's Committee of Tân Mai Ward formed task forces from various departments to support the displaced residents, ensuring no one went without necessities during the storm.

Nguyễn Hữu Vỵ, an 86-year-old resident, expressed relief after being relocated to a classroom at the primary school.

He shared his concerns about living in the old, deteriorating A7 apartment complex and was grateful for the temporary shelter provided.

Similarly, Hoàng Thị Huyền, 65, a displaced resident, said: “We’re grateful for the help.”

She expressed her appreciation for the care provided by the local authorities, highlighting the quality and cleanliness of the temporary accommodation.

On Friday, chairman of the People’s Committee of the city Trần Sỹ Thanh issued Directive No. 11/CĐ-UBND, urging all sectors to urgently respond to the super typhoon Yagi.

The directive emphasised the need to ensure the safety of residents, especially those in hazardous areas, including floating aquaculture farms, flood-prone regions and areas at risk of landslides.

The city’s Party Secretary Bùi Thị Minh Hoài said: “The primary focus must be on safeguarding lives and minimising damage.”

She urged authorities to assist vulnerable groups, including the elderly, sick, poor and those in difficult circumstances, as well as ensure no one was left without essential supplies.

In Hải Phòng City, the city’s Party Secretary Lê Tiến Châu led the implementation of evacuation procedures and ensured communication lines remained open.

He stressed the importance of providing adequate supplies and preparing for post-storm recovery.

During a meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính outlined five key objectives, including focusing on rescue operations, finding missing persons, providing medical care and ensuring no one suffers from a lack of food, shelter or medical services.

He urged localities to utilise reserves for urgent needs and seek central Government support if necessary.

Chính also called on unaffected individuals, businesses and organisations to support those impacted by the storm, emphasising collective responsibility and solidarity.

He announced an immediate allocation of approximately VNĐ100 billion (US$4.06 million) to Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng for recovery efforts. — VNS