Hanoi streets flood during evening commute after heavy rain

Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, was hit by localized heavy rain during the evening commute, causing severe flooding on multiple major roads and significant traffic congestion. On Nguyen Huy Tuong Street in Thanh Xuan Ward, water depths exceeded 50 cm in places by 5 p.m., marking it as a familiar flooding spot that has been a long-standing issue. While the street is two-way, many drivers were seen crossing into the oncoming lane to skirt the floodwaters. Numerous motorbikes were submerged above the middle of their wheels, forcing people to push them on foot for about 600 meters to get through. On Quan Nhan Street in Thanh Xuan Ward, water spread across the roadway for over 100 meters. In a small alley about one kilometer long off Yen Xa Street in Thanh Liet Ward, water rose 30 cm. Dark clouds and rain had lingered over the area since 4:30 p.m. With the drainage system overwhelmed, water surged up from the sewers onto the road, leading to the street in Thanh Liet Ward routinely flooding after every heavy downpour. Nguyen Van Van, a resident of Thanh Liet Ward standing outside a bakery on Trieu Khuc Street, said customer numbers drop sharply after each heavy rain, lamenting, "This week alone, the street has flooded twice." Several vehicles stalled, and people took shelter in the lobby of a roadside apartment building. Vu Trong Phung Street in Thanh Xuan Ward, stretching just over 400 meters, saw congestion drag on as vehicles diverted from nearby roads to avoid the flooding. "It took me nearly 20 minutes to clear this stretch," said one resident. On Nguyen Xien Street in Thanh Xuan Ward, the ramp descending from the elevated road towards Nga Tu So became flooded. Tran Quang Khai Street towards Chuong Duong Bridge in Hong Ha Ward was gridlocked, with the jam stretching more than 2 kilometers. Coinciding with rush hour, the heavy rain left traffic crawling along Nguyen Trai Street. By 6:50 p.m., the street was jammed at the section passing the Ring Road 2.5 construction site. A long line of vehicles stretched over roughly 3 kilometers from Nga Tu So to Ring Road 3. Under Vietnam's one-party system, urban development and infrastructure improvement are key pillars of economic growth. However, the pace of urban development has outstripped the expansion of drainage infrastructure, a common issue in rapidly urbanizing areas, particularly in densely populated cities like Hanoi, exacerbating flooding problems. Information Source: VnExpress International