Heavy rains drown Hanoi streets, block traffic

A tropical depression that used to be Storm Mulan in fact brought heavy rain to the capital since morning, and it got heavier as the day went on.

Then, between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday, Hoang Mai District recorded 340 mm of rain, Nam Tu Liem recorded 190 mm, Bac Tu Liem recorded 250 mm, Cau Giay and Thanh Xuan recorded 230 mm, and Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh recorded 170 mm.

In Cau Giay District, many streets were inundated, the worst affected being Phan Van Truong Street, where some places had over 30 cm of water, paralyzing traffic.

Hoa Bang, Duong Dinh Nghe, Tran Binh, Ho Tung Mau, Trung Kinh, and Pham Hung were under 20 cm of water.

Nguyen Loan, who lives on Nguyen Khang Street and works on Duy Tan Street, said she was stuck on Trung Kinh Street for over 20 minutes. Many people did not dare drive their cars through the street for fear the water would stall their engines, she added.

Cars are stuck in traffic in Hanoi as heavy rains flooded many streets, August 12, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Van

Ha Dong and Thanh Xuan districts were also flooded.

The Xa La intersection, where traffic jams are routine, was under 20 cm of water Friday morning, which caused traffic to come to a halt.

Police officers were present to direct the traffic, but the sheer number of vehicles meant they had backed up for over three kilometers.

Khuat Duy Tien Street was flooded, and traffic was plunged into chaos.

The Thang Long Highway intersection with Le Trong Tan Street was severely inundated, with some places having over 40 cm of water.

Warning signs have been erected for vehicles. Several underpasses were also rendered unusable by the deluge.

In Dong Da District, there were flooded sections on Thai Ha and Huynh Thuc Khang streets.

Co Linh and Dam Quang Trung streets saw vehicles line up for over five kilometers as the areas nearby were flooded.

In Tay Ho District too several streets were under water, including Thuy Khue and Phung Hung, and traffic was held up.

As of Friday morning the city remained overcast, and rains should persist for the next hours with up to 60 mm, meteorologists warned.

The city drainage company has dispatched workers to many locations to clear the water.