Severe flooding hits downtown Ho Chi Minh City after heavy rain

Residents had to walk their motorcycles through the flooded Dang Thuy Tram Street in Binh Loi Trung Ward and Cong Quynh Street in Ben Thanh Ward.

At around 4:30 pm, a sudden downpour struck the city.

Dang Thuy Tram Street was turned into a ‘river’ within just 15 minutes.

Some sections of the street were submerged deep enough to cover motorcycle wheels, forcing many commuters to push their vehicles through the water or wait on the sidewalks for the floodwaters to recede.

“The rain wasn’t even that heavy, but the street was flooded so quickly,” said Van Vinh, a ride-hailing driver.

“My motorcycle broke down in the middle of the road, so I had to walk it through the floodwater for nearly a kilometer."

He blamed the slow drainage on the area’s outdated sewage system, low road elevation, and high tides.

Even when the rain eased, residents still waded home through knee-deep water.

Parents were seen carrying children across flooded stretches.

City authorities have approved an investment of over VND90 billion (US$ 3.4 million) to upgrade streets and drainage in the area.

The renovation design was approved on October 17, but construction has yet to begin.

Elsewhere, several downtown streets were also submerged by early evening.

Around 6:00 pm, floodwaters on Cong Quynh Street reached halfway up motorcycle wheels.

Stalled engines and people pushing vehicles through the waterlogged street caused severe congestion during rush hour.

At 9:00 pm, several streets in downtown Ho Chi Minh City remained underwater as the rain coincided with high tides.

Power was cut as a safety measure on De Tham Street in Cau Ong Lanh Ward.

A resident of Alley 145 on De Tham Street said that at around 8:00 pm, while the street was still deeply flooded, a young man was suddenly electrocuted and collapsed.

The area was plunged into darkness after the power cut, making movement difficult.

At 9:30 pm, power had not yet been restored.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation, electricity was deliberately shut off in areas where flood levels were high to prevent accidents.

The company stated that its automated power cabinets functioned properly and no internal system failures occurred.

Preliminary findings suggest that the electric shock incident may have resulted from leakage at a home’s exposed connection point.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause.