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Man Dies After Falling Tree Branch in Ho Chi Minh City; Infrastructure Management Questioned
A man died and his wife was seriously injured when a large tree branch fell on them during a storm in Ho Chi Minh City. The incident, which occurred on An Duong Vuong Street, has raised concerns about the city's urban infrastructure management, as similar accidents have happened previously.
On the evening of September 18, a strong gust of wind in Ho Chi Minh City caused a large tree branch to fall, killing a man riding a motorcycle and seriously injuring his wife. The accident occurred around 6:30 PM on An Duong Vuong Street when 59-year-old Le Van Dung was riding his motorcycle with his wife, 57-year-old Duong Thi Thoa, heading towards Hong Bang. Near Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, a large branch unexpectedly broke and fell onto their motorbike, causing both to fall to the road. They were rushed to An Binh Hospital, located about 1.2 km from the scene, but Mr. Dung succumbed to his severe injuries. The fallen branch, approximately 30 cm in diameter, crushed the motorcycle and covered nearly one lane of the road. The area experienced rain and strong winds at the time of the incident. Nguyen Vo Xuan Ky, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cho Quan Ward, stated that the wife sustained spinal injuries and other trauma, and was subsequently transferred to Cho Ray Hospital for further treatment. The couple was on their way home from work when the accident happened. The ward authorities visited the hospital to offer their condolences and support to the victims and their families. Mr. Ky mentioned that the ward will request the agency managing the city's trees to review the tree system in the area to prevent similar incidents. Ho Chi Minh City, before its administrative boundary expansion, had over 200,000 trees along more than 1,200 streets. Among these, approximately 7,600 trees are 20-50 meters tall, primarily concentrated in the central districts. Many long-standing Dipterocarpus trees, due to their large size, pose a potential risk of branch breakage or falling during storms. An Duong Vuong Street is one of the routes lined with mature Dipterocarpus trees exceeding 20 meters in height. These trees are known for their straight, towering trunks and dense, year-round foliage. In September 2024, a Dipterocarpus branch about 20 cm in diameter fell from a height of nearly 20 meters on this same street, near Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, striking and killing a 52-year-old woman. In 2016, also on An Duong Vuong Street, a Dipterocarpus tree over 30 meters tall with a diameter of about one meter was uprooted by rain, crushing a 25-year-old man who later died from his injuries. Source: VnExpress
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VnExpress