Man sets motorbike ablaze after Covid taskforce requests papers

By Yen Khanh August 17, 2021 | 05:45 am PT

A video still captures a motorbike set on fire near a Covid-19 checkpoint in Binh Duong Province, August 17, 2021.

An irate man set his motorbike on fire Tuesday after a Covid-19 taskforce asked for approval papers during a social distancing order in Binh Duong Province.

Nguyen Duy Thanh, 23, was riding his motorbike on My Phuoc-Tan Van Street in Phu Loi Ward, Thu Dau Mot Town when he was stopped by the local Covid-19 taskforce.

Thanh failed to provide approval papers that allow him to go out during the Covid-19 social distancing order as well as other documents like motorbike registration. As he was about to be fined, Thanh set his motorbike on fire.

He was taken to a police station to be tested for Covid-19 and fined for his violations, police said.

"Everything happened so quickly that we couldn't stop him," said a member of the Covid-19 taskforce at the time.

Binh Duong, currently a major coronavirus hotspot, is under a social distancing order expected to last until August 31.

The province has recorded 49,833 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam late April, and more cases are expected as authorities carry out mass testing in the locality.