Hanoi traffic in chaos after office hours as downpours flood streets

Even after the rain stopped, floodwaters had yet to recede, leaving the Lang Ha–Thai Ha area deeply submerged. Many people struggled to push their motorbikes, with only the handlebars visible above the water, inching forward just to get home, while numerous cars were abandoned in the middle of the street.

At Cau Cong Moc heading toward Lang, after hours of waiting, vehicles crowded together and moved in the same direction across both lanes, plunging traffic into chaos.

Residents push stalled motorbikes through floodwaters nearly a meter deep on Lang Ha–Thai Ha Street. Photo by Hoang Giang

At Cau Cong Moc toward Lang, vehicles occupied both lanes to move forward. Photo by Hoang Giang

Many car owners abandoned their vehicles in floodwaters on Lang Ha Street. Photo by Hoang Giang

Traffic jam in front of the Lang Ha Convention Center. Photo by Hoang Giang

Residents exhausted as they push stalled motorbikes through flooded streets. Photo by Hoang Giang

On the evening of Sept. 30, floodwaters at the Duong Dinh Nghe–Ring Road 3 intersection rose above motorbike seats, forcing many riders to stop and scoop water out of their vehicles’ trunks. To get through the inundated stretch, some car owners even hired pushers at about VND 30,000 per trip.

Nguyen Quang Khanh, a resident of Le Duan Street, said his car stalled while crossing the area, leaving him waiting four hours for his insurance provider to arrive. "I’ve driven through floods here many times, but this is the first time my car has suffered engine hydrolock. I took photos of the scene, sent them to the insurer, and kept the car as is while waiting for them to handle it," he said.

Motorbikes submerged in water forced many riders to scoop water from their trunks before pushing them to repair shops. Photo by Tung Dinh

Many car owners wade through floodwaters to check on their vehicles. Photo by Tung Dinh

Meanwhile, many people hired push services to move their cars out of flooded areas. Photo by Tung Dinh

Motorbike transport services were also widely used, as many chose this option instead of pushing broken-down bikes through floodwaters to get home. Photo by Tung Dinh

Leaving her office on Thai Ha Street at 5 p.m., Thu Hang waited more than an hour without catching a bus to her home in Vinh Tuy, so she decided to walk. Streets nearby, including Tay Son and Thai Ha, were flooded above knee level. Along Truong Chinh and Giai Phong, she saw chaos everywhere — people standing helplessly by the roadside, pushing broken-down motorbikes to find repair shops, and many, like her, choosing to walk home.

Some stretches had already drained, and she considered boarding a bus, but gave up when she saw them overcrowded. By the time she reached Minh Khai, she thought traffic had cleared, only to encounter a complete standstill near Vinh Tuy Bridge. After more than two hours of walking, she finally reached home soaked to the bone and so exhausted she had no appetite.

Having endured floods and traffic jams many times before, she remarked: "I’ve never seen such chaos since the great flood of 2008."

Residents wait for buses on Thai Ha Street on the afternoon of Sept. 30. Photo by Thu Hang

On Chinh Kinh Street in Thanh Xuan District, it was as dark as night by 6:30 p.m. Floodwaters nearly reached adults’ knees, forcing many residents, after hours stuck inside, to wade out in search of food. Some struggled to push their motorbikes through the water, relying on friends to help lift them onto higher ground.

Many cars had to be abandoned in the middle of the flooded street. Nearby households kept their doors tightly shut to prevent water and trash from rushing inside.

Chinh Kinh Street at 6:30 p.m. Photo by Hoang Giang

Residents wade through floodwaters to buy food for dinner. Photo by Hoang Giang

Cars had to be abandoned on the street. Photo by Hoang Giang

By 6 p.m., darkness had already fallen over Hanoi, with many residents still trudging through flooded streets trying to get home. The section of Pham Hung Street leading to My Dinh Bus Station was heavily inundated.

 

 

Hanoi traffic in chaos after office hours as downpours flood streets

Giao thông Hà Nội hỗn loạn

At Thuong Dinh Station, long lines formed as people bought tickets for the Cat Linh–Ha Dong metro while surrounding streets were completely gridlocked. On Nguyen Trai Street, cars and motorbikes jostled for space, leaving no room to move, while many took to the sidewalks, adding to the chaos.

Residents line up to buy metro tickets at Thuong Dinh Station. Photo by Hoang Giang

Vehicles crowd Nguyen Trai Street. Photo by Hoang Giang

With the road both flooded and jammed, many motorbikes mounted the sidewalks, adding to the traffic chaos. Photo by Hoang Giang

On the afternoon of Sept. 30, deep flooding on streets including Lieu Giai and Phan Ke Binh brought traffic to a standstill. Many cars stalled, with some left floating in the water. The areas around Thu Le Park and the Lotte shopping center were also inundated, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water to buy dinner or detour to get to work.

Many cars submerged in floodwaters on Lieu Giai Street. Photo by Van Doanh

Residents watch helplessly as cars float in floodwaters on Lieu Giai and Phan Ke Binh streets. Photo by Van Doanh

Residents wade through waist-deep floodwaters, struggling to move along the street. Photo by Van Doanh

Many streets in Giang Vo turned into rivers. Photo by Van Doanh

Le Van Doanh, 38, who works on Linh Lang Street, said the area had been heavily flooded since noon and remained underwater by evening. He and his wife, who work at a Japanese restaurant, had to pack ingredients into plastic containers and drag them through the water to prepare for the dinner rush. "I just hope the water recedes soon so I can go home to my two children in Doi Can, only 2.5 km away," he said.

On Ring Road 3, traffic was at a standstill, forcing people on motorbikes and even on foot to climb onto the median strip in search of a way out.

Hoang Thi Ngan, dressed in pink, said she left Tuyen Quang at 8 a.m. but did not arrive at My Dinh Bus Station until 4 p.m., nearly two hours late due to traffic jams. With streets flooded everywhere, the 43-year-old tried calling her son to pick her up but couldn’t reach him, and ride-hailing apps yielded no drivers. She ended up waiting two more hours for the waters to recede before heading home to Duong Noi, Ha Dong. Despite many trips to Hanoi, Ngan said she had never seen such widespread flooding and gridlock until today.

People walk along the median strip of Ring Road 3 to avoid flooded sections. Photo by Tung Dinh

Pushing motorbikes along the median strip. Photo by Tung Dinh

Ngan from Tuyen Quang waited for more than two hours at My Dinh Bus Station without being able to catch a ride to Duong Noi, Ha Dong. Photo by Tung Dinh