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A bodhi tree nearly 20 meters tall was torn from the ground on Le Hong Phong Street in District 10 at around 1 p.m. The tree's massive canopy collapsed onto a busy road, striking a motorcyclist and pinning him under the branches.
A tree falls onto a motorbike during a thunderstorm in Ho Chi Minh City, May 31, 2025. Video by Phong Van Mobile
"It was a chaotic moment; vehicles were moving fast, and the tree just came down," said local resident named Phong Van.
Witnesses rushed to pull the branches off the injured man, who sustained neck and shoulder injuries. He was given first aid before being taken to hospital.
The fallen tree blocked one lane of traffic, prompting emergency crews to use chainsaws to clear the debris.
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Workers take apart a fallen tree for removal. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
Elsewhere, in downtown District 1, strong winds uprooted another tree on Yersin Street. It fell on a passing car but caused no injuries.
In a more dramatic scene in Thu Duc City, a towering construction crane collapsed at the My Thuy overpass project.
The crane, estimated at over 30 meters tall, crashed down onto a container truck and a seven-seater car. Despite the heavy impact, both drivers escaped unharmed.
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A crane falls on top of two cars. Photo obtained by VnExpress |
"The traffic was already slow due to the storm, and then the crane just gave way," recalled Nguyen Tuyen, a 48-year-old truck driver transporting fruit from Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta.
Traffic police cordoned off the area and redirected vehicles while teams worked to haul the crane off the bridge and back to the construction site.
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Two cars are damaged by a fallen crane following a thunderstorm in HCMC, May 31, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Anh |
Trees being felled by extreme weather is not uncommon during southern Vietnam's rainy season. Earlier this month, a 10-year-old boy suffered a traumatic brain injury after a tree branch fell on him while riding home from school with his father on Hung Vuong Street in HCMC's District 5.
