Chaos in Ho Chi Minh City as sudden deluge and rising tides leave commuters stranded

The flooding was particularly severe on Phan Huy Ich Street in Tan Son Ward, where water continued to rise after the rain had eased, reaching above motorcycle wheel height around 9:00 pm.

The flooded stretch extended for about 1 kilometer, forcing residents and workers helping with drainage to set up barricades at both ends and direct vehicles to turn around. Several vehicles stalled in the water, leaving their drivers to push or walk them through the flooded street.

Nguyen Huu Binh, a resident of the area, said Phan Huy Ich Street is in a low-lying area and can flood after about 30 minutes of heavy rain. 

Even after the rain stops, water from drains and tidal water from a nearby river can flow back onto the street, making the flooding worse..

Residents along the street also scrambled to protect their homes from the rising water, using blankets, mattresses, rubber sheets and other materials to block water from entering. 

A coffee shop whose floor was higher than the road was also flooded, forcing staff to move tables and chairs and unplug electrical equipment for safety.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Traffic and Technical Infrastructure Management said the severe flooding on Phan Huy Ich Street was linked to construction of the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len Canal project.

The flooding has become more severe than in previous years, as dredged materials from the project were deposited in the canal, narrowing the waterway, the center said.

Meanwhile, flooding and gridlock brought traffic on Ung Van Khiem Street to a standstill, with water rising to more than half the height of motorcycle wheels and numerous vehicles stalling.

Some commuters spent about an hour traveling less than 200 meters, while traffic was virtually unable to move in either direction.

At Nguyen Thai Son Roundabout, traffic from Pham Van Dong, Nguyen Kiem, Hoang Minh Giam and Bach Dang streets converged, causing severe congestion.

Many commuters were stranded for tens of minutes before managing to get through the roundabout.

Traffic police were deployed to regulate traffic and direct vehicles around the area.

The heavy rain was accompanied by strong winds, thunder and lightning across Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday evening.