Saigon lays claim to 'rockiest road on the planet'

Around 20 kilometers from downtown Saigon, a street less than two kilometers long has around 100 big holes, each about four meters wide, forcing people and vehicles to move around them and through.

"It's the rockiest road on the planet. All vehicles passing through here slow down to a crawl, people often break their limbs (after falling off their vehicles) and get taken to the hospital," said Thai Van Tong, a local.

A motorbike goes through one of the muddy water filled holes on Nu Dan Cong Street in Binh Chanh District.

Local Tran Van Hung falls off his motorbike while trying to get through one of the holes on the street.

"Hiking through jungles and streams is easier than traversing this hellhole. If I'm dead or injured, who will compensate me and my family...?" he said, angrily.

A merchant receives assistance from another man as he prepares to take on another challenge.

The condition of the road has left several businesses hungry for customers, with some saying they are "on the verge of bankruptcy."

"Not only do we get no customers, but vehicles passing through here splash mud all over our displays," said Long (pictured), who runs an electronic repair store on the street.

"Every day I have to wash my motorbike 20 times, as every time I go out, it looks like a buffalo that has wallowed in mud," said Trung, cleaning his motorbike with a water hose.

The holes are the result of hundreds of trucks using the street to get to construction sites every day, according to locals. The holes keep widening by the day.

A man drives a tractor carrying sand. People bring sand and other materials to fill the holes often.

The drainage system on Nu Dan Cong Street will be ujpgraded soon, said Tran Phu Lu, chairman of the Binh Chanh District People's Committee. Construction would begin at the end of this year, and is expected to be completed next year, he said.

Authorities would also increase surveillance to prevent overloaded trucks going in and out of the area, he added.