Driving in the rain in Saigon exposes residents to a range of dangers, now including one that’s right beneath their wheels.
Phap Luat reports that a wide sinkhole appeared during the storm last night at the Nguyễn Oanh-Phan Văn Trị intersection in Go Vap District. According to local sources, the hole is two meters deep and three meters wide. It materialized at around 10pm during the heavy rain.
Though fortunately no one was hurt by its appearance, the sinkhole caused quite a scare among people driving past the area. Go Vap residents living nearby had to place objects around the pit to warn riders.
As of this morning, the city’s maintenance workers have showed up at the site to carry out repairs, and there’s no word of when the hole will be filled in. Initial assessment suggests that a water pipe below the street burst, causing a high-pressure water stream to wear away the soil.
Last night marked the second day in a row that Saigon and southern provinces experienced the most torrential bouts of rain this season. A representative from the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center told Zing that the stormy weather is due to a low-pressure area above the southern region, coupled with moderate to intense monsoon winds.
According to the center’s 10-day prediction, the extended rain will continue through August 15, albeit with gradually weaker intensity. Still, Saigoneers should expect similar instances of heavy rain through tomorrow, August 8.
Unsurprisingly, the hours of pouring last night caused massive flooding in many metropolitan areas, from usual hotspots like Thao Dien and Binh Thanh to even stretches of District 1.
[Photo via Phap Luat]
