People wait to buy ticket at Cat Linh Metro Station on August 21.
After the large-scale rehearsal for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on Thursday evening, thousands of people turned to the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro as roads were closed. The surge caused severe overcrowding, with long waits and many unable to board.
At 10.15 pm, Cat Linh Station’s hall was packed with people sitting on the floor. Stairs leading to platforms were jammed, and ticket machines were inaccessible. By 10.30 pm, entry at Hall A was shut due to overcrowding, forcing passengers to Hall B without proper announcements.
“We had to close Hall A because of the crowd. Passengers who can't buy tickets should switch to other transport,” a metro staff member said.
Tran Duc Luong from Ha Dong Ward said he arrived early but still found the station overcrowded. “I waited from 9.45 pm until nearly 10.30 pm, but still couldn’t get a ticket. My group of eight was exhausted and drenched in sweat,” he said.
Other passengers shared similar frustration. Some waited over an hour but gave up and took taxis. Many had to walk several kilometres because taxis and ride-hailing services were scarce.
By 11 pm, people were still seen walking along Lang Ha Street, three kilometres from Ba Dinh Square, trying to find transport. Some had already walked 5-6 km in vain.
Binh, from An Khanh commune, said he finally caught a taxi motorbike after an hour, paying VND 150,000 (approximately USD 6) for a 10km ride. His friend had to call a relative to pick him up.
“Next time I’ll make a better plan. This was exhausting,” Binh said.