By 4:00 pm, although the rain had stopped, water still covered large sections of the street, reaching up to half the height of a motorbike wheel in some areas.

Several vehicles stalled in the floodwaters, while others were pushed manually through the waterlogged road.

Outside the hospital gates, patients and their relatives waited helplessly, unable to leave due to the rising water. 

Many had no option but to remain there until the street became passable.

Hua Thanh Hung, a local resident, parked his motorbike on the sidewalk and waited to take his mother home from the hospital. He said he was unwilling to risk riding through the water.

"People are struggling out here. Many bikes have broken down. I’m not risking driving into that water because the engine would die immediately," Hung said.

Nearby, Nguyen Thi Suong rolled up her pants and carried her sandals as she carefully waded across the street. 

She told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she had just finished a medical checkup and needed to walk through the water to find a ride home.

Residents along Ba Trieu Street said the area is prone to flooding whenever heavy rain hits, often forcing them to clean up their homes and businesses afterward.

"When it pours, this road floods. Patients, families, and anyone passing by really struggle to get through," one local said.

Flooding remains a chronic issue in many parts of Ho Chi Minh City, especially in low-lying suburban districts like Hoc Mon, where drainage systems are often overwhelmed by sudden storms.