Many residents in Thai Nguyen parked their vehicles on Ben Tuong Bridge on the night of August 23 after water levels on the Cau River rose sharply.
Van, a resident of Phan Dinh Phung Ward, said she hurriedly drove her car onto the bridge after noticing the river swelling. She found a space near the right-hand lane and left the vehicle there.
Despite heavy rain, many other residents also brought their vehicles to the bridge, filling both sides of the roadway.
Residents in Thai Nguyen park vehicles on the bridge for fear of flooding from heavy rain on August 23 (Photo: supplied).
According to Van, the decision was based on lessons learned from last year's flood season, when many households in Thai Nguyen suffered significant losses after water levels rose suddenly and left little time to move property to safety.
“Last year, the ground floor of my house was submerged. We moved our car and motorbikes to what we thought was a relatively high area near our home, but they were still flooded,” she said.
After the floodwaters receded, she spent VND 100 million (about USD 3,800) repairing her car and another VND 200 million (about USD 7,700) repairing her house and replacing damaged belongings.
As river levels began rising again in recent days, her family moved valuables and searched for a safer place to park their vehicle. Ben Tuong Bridge was chosen because of its elevated position.
“I know parking on a bridge can obstruct traffic, but it was a last resort,” Van said.
By 8. 30 am on August 24, she had driven the car back home. She said her family would continue monitoring weather and flood conditions to protect their property.
Nguyen Tham, who lives near Ben Tuong Bridge, said many vehicle owners parked their cars in two or three rows along both sides of the bridge during the night and early morning.
“Most of the people parking here live near the river or in low-lying areas. I live in an apartment building and can monitor water levels, so I felt comfortable leaving my car in the basement,” she said.
Early on August 24, traffic on Ben Tuong Bridge was nearly paralysed. Motorcycles and cars travelling in both directions struggled to move as parked vehicles significantly reduced the available road space. Some commuters reportedly spent around an hour crossing the approximately 700-metre bridge.
Minh Toan, a resident of Phan Dinh Phung Ward, said it took him 50 minutes to make his way across the bridge.
“Everyone was anxious because they were worried about being late for work or school,” he said.
Traffic on Ben Tuong Bridge at 6 am on August 23 (Photo: Tham Nguyen).
Authorities later arrived to direct traffic and instruct residents to move their vehicles. By around 9 am, most of the parked vehicles had been removed, restoring normal traffic flow.
According to the Thai Nguyen Hydrometeorological Station, heavy rain was recorded across many parts of the Province between 7 pm on August 22 and 7 am on August 23, with some monitoring stations reporting rainfall exceeding 60mm.
Forecasters warned that flooding on the Cau River in Thai Nguyen Province was expected to continue rising from the night of August 23 through August 24.
