Kindness shines through the chaos as Saigon grapples with flooded streets

By Staff reporters   October 1, 2018 | 11:45 pm PT
A heavy downpour early Tuesday flooded many Saigon streets. Chaos ensued, but there were heartening scenes, too.

Kindness shines through the chaos as Saigon grapples with flooded streets

Traffic wades through a section of National Highway 1 that runs through Binh Chanh District to the east of Saigon around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, half an hour after a heavy downpour lashed Saigon.

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Police officer Nguyen Van Hoang and a local man help Minh, 52, save his motorbike and goods from falling into the water and getting drenched near the An Lac Roundabout in the neighboring Binh Tan District. “Police were informed of the floods first thing in the morning and have been here since 6 a.m. to navigate traffic but the situation is still out of hand,” said Hoang.

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Another police officer helps a family whose motorbike engine died in the flooded street.

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A staff of HCMC Urban Drainage Company tries to take out garbage from a drain.

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Another staff helps a passerby.

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A morning cycling run turns into a difficult walk.

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Huan, a man in Binh Chanh District, is weary of the frequent flooding. He has tried to fortify his house with bags of sand. “I’m so sick of this. The street is flooded every time it rains heavily,” he said.

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These people are stuck on a sidewalk, waiting for the flood waters to recede.

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Around 9 a.m., when the flood waters has almost receded, National Highway 1 is still heavily congested.

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“This is terrible,” said Kyle, a Canadian expat as he took his kids to school on Quoc Huong Street in District 2.

 
 
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