Deluge transforms Hanoi into city of canals

May 24, 2016 | 07:03 pm PT

Torrential rain that lasted for most of yesterday has inundated Hanoi's streets and caused traffic chaos, with some roads under 60cm of water.

deluge-transforms-hanoi-into-city-of-canals

Tran Duy Hung street at 8 a.m. Photo by Ba Do

At 8 a.m. today, many streets were impassable and traffic has built up all over the city. On Com Vong Street in Cau Giay District, water came up to the top of a motorbike’s tire, and vehicles had to use the pavement to get through, adding to the mayhem, with cars breaking down all over.

In some parts of the city, water came spilling into houses, swamping furniture, and in the basement of the HITC building (Xuan Thuy Street), staff were battling to bail out the water.

Inhabitants in Tran Duy Hung street are bailing water out. Photo by Ba Do.

Le Van Luong Street heading to the city center suffered from heavy flooding that caused a mile-long traffic jam. Many officials and staff have had to cancel meetings or simply cannot get to their offices due to the floods.

Big C area at 7.15 a.m. Photo by Ba Do

The roads near the Big C crossroads have been inundated from 4 a.m. Nguyen Minh Ngoc said the heavy rain had hampered his vision and he'd got stuck in 60cm of water.

"Barriers were on the verge of falling down and had shifted by about 10 meters. The engine cut out at 4 a.m., and I'm still here now," said Ngoc.

Water companies have sent industrial pumps and tankers to try and deal with the situation.

Nguyen Minh Ngoc's car got stuck in the flood at 4 a.m. Photo by Ba Do.

Since yesterday, Hanoi has been battered by constant rain. In Cau Giay District, many streets including Duy Tan, Nguyen Phong Sac and Dich Vong recorded 50cm of water. Motorbikes on Duy Tan and Duong Dinh Nghe have been left stranded after the water flooded their engines.

The area around the Keang Nam towers has also been overwhelmed with 50cm of water. The widespread flooding has stretched to the Thang Long Highway, causing huge traffic jams.

An overpass in Ha Dong District inundated with serious flood. Ảnh: Thu Hien

According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, a cold front from the north has caused heavy rains and northern provinces have suffered from serious flooding including Son La (85 mm), Kim Boi, Hoa Binh (97 mm), Yen Bai (58mm) and Tuyen Quang (76 mm).

In Hanoi water levels reached 113 mm (Me Tri), 115 mm (Lang), 144mm (Hoai Duc) and 227 mm (Ha Dong)