Downpours from storm Mun paralyzes Hanoi traffic

Motorbike drivers move at a snail's pace on a street in Thanh Xuan District, half an hour from the downtown.

Storm Mun weakened into a tropical depression after making landfall in northern Vietnam on Thursday morning. But it has triggered heavy downpours across the region since Wednesday night.

A taxi driver reacts when some motorbikes try to cut through the car lane.

Hanoi has 5.2 million motorbikes and around 550,000 cars, besides some 1.2 million bikes brought by immigrants. Traffic congestion has been a dire burden in the capital city, and it usually gets worse in heavy rains.

A motorbike driver tries to squeeze into narrow space between cars.

Motorbikes ride on the sidewalk of To Huu Street in Ha Dong District to escape traffic jams.

Motorbikes and cars are stuck near Nga Tu So Flyover, 20 minutes from the downtown, at 9 a.m., meaning many people were late for work.

Tropical storm Mun has claimed two victims. A woman and her husband died when crossing a bridge that collapsed due to a landslide in Thanh Hoa Province in north central Vietnam on Thursday morning.

Weather forecasters said the north and north-central regions, including Hanoi, should expect heavy rains and thunderstorms throughout Thursday.