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Uncovered, degraded manholes a hazard to commuters in southern Vietnam

Uncovered, degraded manholes a hazard to commuters in southern Vietnam

Thursday, June 27, 2024, 16:00 GMT+7
Uncovered, degraded manholes a hazard to commuters in southern Vietnam
A cover has fallen into the sewer on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Commuters are seriously jeopardized by manholes with missing or deteriorated covers in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring Binh Duong Province.

On Road D39 in the Nam Long residential area in Thu Duc City, a district-level unit in Ho Chi Minh City, one particular large manhole has no cover and the concrete surrounding it appears to be on the verge of collapse.

T., a local, said the area typically floods with 30-40 centimeters of rainwater during storms, obscuring the manholes and creating a hazard for children who venture out in the rain.  

On Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, also in Thu Duc, manholes measuring up to 30 cm x 60 cm remain uncovered at the moment. 

The same issue plagues Nguyen Thanh Son Street in Thu Duc.

Nearby, manholes on Truong Van Bang, Bat Nan, Nguyen Quang Bat, and Le Huu Kieu Streets have degraded and are in serious need of repair.

A manhole on Road D39 in the Nam Long residential area in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City is on the brink of collapse. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole is on the brink of collapse on Road D39 in the Nam Long residential area in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

The same situation can be seen on roads Nos. 1 and 2 in the Tan Dong Hiep A Industrial Park, routes in the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City area, Kinh Noi Street, and Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province, which is just outside Ho Chi Minh City.

In the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City township, several manholes on the sidewalks of Nguyen Du Street have had their covers stolen, giving rise to a peril for the many students and local residents who frequent the area.

On Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street, which passes through Dong An Polytechnic College in Binh Duong, one sewer is covered by concrete slabs even though those slabs have cracked to form one-meter-wide holes.  

Locals said the slabs have been broken for over a year.

Many sewers along Nguyen Thi Dinh Street in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City have had their openings stolen. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Many sewers along Nguyen Thi Dinh Street in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City have had their openings stolen. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

For locals, the situation poses more than just a danger outdoors. As the manholes are not properly covered, storms cause serious backflow which leads to water leaving the sewer and flowing into their homes.

T.L., a student of Dong An Polytechnic College, said that she often avoids walking on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in the rain for fear that she might fall into an uncovered manhole.

Inside the Tan Dong Hiep A Industrial Park, a flood hotspot in Di An City, many manholes have no openings.

A manhole cover is not secured on Truong Van Bang Street in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole cover is not secured on Truong Van Bang Street in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

There have been many cases where people died after being swept into sewers by rainwater.

On October 16, 2016, an eight-year-old boy was caught in a sewer on Road No. 4 in the administrative center in Di An during a heavy rainstorm. His body was discovered two days later in a grass field over three kilometers from the sewer.

In September 2014, a boy in Tan Uyen City and another in Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province also lost their lives after being swept into sewers.

Most recently, on June 14 this year, rainwater swept a 53-year-old woman in Tan Uyen City into a canal. Her body was found in a field over one kilometer from the canal.

A broken manhole cover on Le Huu Kieu Street in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A broken manhole cover on Le Huu Kieu Street in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Two sewer covers on Nguyen Du Street inside the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City have been broken, while the remaining have been downgraded. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Two sewer covers on Nguyen Du Street in the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City township have been broken, while the remaining have been downgraded. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A cover does not fit the manhole on Nguyen Thanh Son Street in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A cover does not fit the manhole on Nguyen Thanh Son Street in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole without a cover on Le Huu Kieu Street in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole without a cover on Le Huu Kieu Street in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Metal manhole covers are deformed on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

Metal manhole covers are deformed on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole without a cover in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole without a cover in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A sewer without an opening is like the entrance to a cave on Kinh Noi Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A sewer without an opening is like the entrance to a cave on Kinh Noi Street in Di An City, Binh Duong Province. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole whose cover was broken is temporarily blanketed. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

A manhole with a broken cover is temporarily covered. Photo: Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre

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Thanh Ha - Xuan Doan / Tuoi Tre News

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