Saigon treads water after massive deluge

By Duy Tran, Manh Tung   September 26, 2016 | 10:00 pm PT
It's probably best to leave the scooter at home if you want to get out in Saigon today.

A two-hour downpour left Ho Chi Minh City in chaos on Monday evening, leaving scores of vehicles submerged in water.

The heavy rain also affected nearly 70 flights at Tan Son Nhat Airport, with 14 landed diverted to airports in neighboring provinces. Four other international flights were forced to land at airports in Cambodia and Thailand.

A day after the historic rain, many roads, underground parking garages and buildings in downtown Ho Chi Minh City are still under water.

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At noon today, many parts of Saigon like Luong Dinh Cua and Thu Duc District were still submerged.

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To overcome flooded streets, local residents have had to turn off their engines.

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The man in the picture said that he didn't know how to clean up his house until the waters receded. He added that his neighbor, a university student, couldn't make it to school because her motorbike broke down in the water.

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“My house has been flooded for more than 18 hours. I have put my dog and chickens on the bed and tables to stop them from getting wet,” a shopkeeper said, adding that she was fed up with the situation.

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A wooden bench at the top of Luong Dinh Cua Street to prevent possible accidents caused by flooded areas.

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Thousand of vehicles are still submerged in a parking lot on Nguyen Sieu Street, District 1. 

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A worker at the parking lot said: “We have had firefighters pumping water out of the lot to rescue vehicles since yesterday evening, but there's just too much water.”

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A motorcycle that escaped from the lot, but all the items under the seat are soaked.

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A firefighter said the lot has been inundated by 1,000 cubic meters of water, so it's time-consuming to pump it out.

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In some communities, people had to wake up at 4 a.m. to clean up their houses. Son, a hairdresser said: “This is the largest torrential rain that I’ve ever seen. Luckily, we didn't have much damage.”

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In June, Ho Chi Minh City approved a VND10 trillion (nearly $450 million) project to cope with frequent flooding.

Related news:

'Flash floods' sweep away motorbikes in Saigon

HCMC streets in chaos after downpour

 
 
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