Cars swept away by floods after heavy rains batter northern Vietnam

Thai Nguyen Province, home to the eponymous city, began experiencing heavy rain at 1 p.m., with rainfall of 70-95 mm dumped by 7 p.m. Many streets in Thai Nguyen City were submerged by 40-60 cm by Thursday night.

On Z115 Street, floodwaters reached up to 60 cm deep, causing a four-seater car to be swept away for about 50 meters, eventually drifting onto the sidewalk. The driver had exited the vehicle safely.

On Hoang Gia Street, an empty taxicab was swept away by floodwaters.

 

 

Cars swept away by floods after heavy rains batter northern Vietnam

Mưa lớn, ôtô bị cuốn trôi trên đường ở Thái Nguyên

Several cars were stalled in the middle of Quang Trung Street, awaiting rescue, while at the Luong Ngoc Quyen – Hoang Van Thu intersection, water flooded some roadside homes, knocking over and washing away motorbikes parked on the sidewalk.

Flooding also occurred on several major streets in the city center, including Phu Lien, Phan Boi Chau, Phan Dinh Phung, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, and Van Cao.

Pham Yen, who was on her way home from work, failed to notice the flooding on Hoang Van Thu Street due to the darkness and heavy rain, and rode her motorbike straight into the water.

“When I turned back, the road behind was also flooded. After moving a few more meters, my motorbike stalled and was knocked over by waves. Some locals pulled me to safety,” she said.

Vehicles are stuck on a flooded street in the center of Thai Nguyen City on Aug. 22, 2024, as seen in a still image extracted from a traffic surveillance camera.

In Hanoi, rain began at 7 p.m. in the outlying district of Soc Son and later spread to the inner city. By 11:30 p.m., rainfall in Bac Tu Liem District had exceeded 120 mm, with over 70 mm recorded in Quoc Oai, Thach That, and Hoai Duc.

Due to the influence of a low-pressure trough, heavy rain has been affecting the northern region since Tuesday, particularly in the late afternoon. Flooding severed National Highway 18 in Quang Ninh Province and National Highway 4H in Lai Chau and caused one fatality in Tuyen Quang on Wednesday.