HCMC expressway partially shut down as truck catches fire

The driver of the truck was carrying a 40-foot container from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai at around 8 a.m. when he detected smoke and then fire coming out from the top of the cabin, so ditched the vehicle and got out.

A few minutes later, the fire grew stronger and covered the entire truck.

Firefighters arrived and prevented the fire from spreading to the container.

Vehicles get stuck in traffic over 3 km after a container truck caught fire on HCMC - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, October 6, 2023. Photo by Pham Trung

Traffic police had to close the entire lane, causing a traffic gridlock stretching as long for more than 3 km.

There were no fatalities and the container was kept untouched but the entire cabin was burned to the frame.

Police said a short circuit might have caused the fire.

Running 55 km, the HCMC - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway runs between the economic hub of HCMC and industrial center of Dong Nai.

HCMC authorities have proposed to expand the road from four to eight lanes to keep up with the increasing traffic volume.