Police, border guards, and local authorities mounted emergency rescue operations, successfully saving five stranded residents while helping vulnerable households evacuate to safer locations.
Torrential rain from the night of July 16 through the morning of July 17 caused widespread flooding, landslides, and road blockages in several parts of the province, severely affecting daily life and cutting off access to numerous villages.
By the morning of July 17, intense rainfall persisted in Muong Than Commune, where flash floods swept mud, rocks, and uprooted trees into residential areas, damaging homes and other property.
Floodwaters and debris inundated several roads, bringing traffic to a standstill. As many areas remained inaccessible until nearly midday, authorities were unable to fully assess the extent of the damage or determine the number of affected residents.
According to Lai Chau Provincial Police, flash floods and debris flows struck the villages of Chit, Nam Sang, Sap Ngua, and Noong Thang in Muong Than Commune on the morning of July 17.
At about 9 a.m., police received reports that two residents, Lo Van Ch., 33, and Nguyen Thanh H., 35, had become stranded in the swollen Nam Vai Stream near Chit Village. Rescue teams immediately mobilized to the scene, and after a challenging operation, both victims were brought safely to shore by 11:15 a.m.
Provincial police deployed more than 200 officers and personnel, including mobile police, traffic police, firefighting and rescue units, commune police, and local emergency response teams, to deal with the worsening floods.
Rescuers assisted residents in evacuating people and belongings, used drones, life jackets, and specialized equipment to reach isolated communities, and established traffic control points while warning motorists of flooded roads and areas vulnerable to further landslides.
The latest rescues followed another successful operation on the evening of July 16, when the Pa Ve Su Border Guard Station worked with Bum Nua Commune Police and local authorities to save three residents trapped by floodwaters near the Nam Si Luong hydropower reservoir.
The rescued victims were Ly Ca Ch., 21, Giang Van H., 12, and Giang Van Ch., 10, all from A Mai Village in Bum Nua Commune. After several hours navigating rapidly rising floodwaters, rescue teams brought all three safely to shore.
Emergency forces remain deployed across Lai Chau to conduct search and rescue operations, clear landslide sites, restore transport links, and assist affected residents. Authorities continue assessing damage caused by the floods.
