On the morning of July 24, following an order from the Commander of the Air Defence - Air Force, Air Force Regiment 916 urgently dispatched a flight crew carrying dry food, bottled water, and instant noodles to support flood relief efforts in the central region.

At 7:50 a.m., despite heavy rain and low clouds, Major Vuong Dinh Long, Leader of Squadron 1, piloted the Mi-171 helicopter from Hoa Lac Airport in Hanoi to Nghe An for emergency operations.

Le Van Luong, secretary of the Party Committee of Tuong Duong commune, explained that the mission targets remote villages such as Chan, Mac, Lau, and Nhan where 437 households with more than 900 people remain isolated by floodwaters and urgently need assistance.

“In our commune, flooding has completely destroyed three suspension bridges over the Lam and Ca rivers. Roads are blocked, supplies cannot reach residents, and people are running low on food, clean water, and medicine,” Luong said.

After arriving in Tuong Duong, the helicopter collected relief goods prepared by local authorities before flying directly to cut off villages to distribute aid.

Tuong Duong district, especially its highland areas, has suffered extensive damage from prolonged rainfall and flooding caused by Typhoon Wipha. Landslides, damaged homes, destroyed infrastructure, and wiped-out farmland have left residents in the hardest-hit areas in urgent need of essential supplies, particularly food and drinking water.

More helicopters take flight to transport relief packages for flood victims

A helicopter of Regiment 916 of the Air Defence-Air Force Service's Air Division 371 took off at Hoa Lac Airport in Hanoi September 12 to carry out rescue missions and transport essential supplies to flood-affected areas in Nguyen Binh district, of the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.