A South Korean man who narrowly survived a serious pile-up on Phu My Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this week recounted his heroic act of rescuing others from a burning car during the accident in a recent interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

On Friday afternoon, Tuoi Tre spoke with Lee Geum Ho, a 44-year-old South Korean who was involved in the dangerous pile-up on Phu My Bridge in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City, on Thursday.

Lee, who was pushed about 100 meters by a refrigerated truck during the accident, played a crucial role in rescuing people from a burning car. 

He was traveling with two employees from District 7 in Ho Chi Minh City to neighboring Dong Nai Province when their ride-hailing car was struck by an eight-metric-ton refrigerated truck descending the slope of the bridge.

The truck collided with several vehicles, including Lee’s, pushing it and another car away before coming to a stop against a container truck.

Despite the chaos, Lee calmly evacuated his car with the driver and staff. 

As the car began to smoke and catch fire, he noticed a nearby car with two people trapped inside, one of whom was screaming for help.

Without hesitation, Lee jumped into the damaged car, broke the door, and pulled a man from the back seat to safety. 

Meanwhile, the driver was stuck by a jammed seat belt.

Fortunately, passersby, including workers and motorbike taxi drivers, were able to cut the seat belt and rescued him.

“My husband said he couldn’t ignore someone in trouble,” Lee’s wife, Nguyen Thi Kim Xuyen, 28, from the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, recounted his actions.

“He rushed in to help without a second thought.” 

Lee admitted that while he was initially panicked when his own car was hit, seeing others in need of help drove him to act. 

After returning home, Lee shared the story with Xuyen but paid little attention to social media. 

It was only when Xuyen saw a video of Lee’s bravery online and shared it that he realized his actions had been widely recognized and praised.

Married to Xuyen for three years and residing in District 7, Lee considers Vietnam his second home. 

His deep affection for the Vietnamese people motivates him to help whenever he can.

According to authorities, Thursday's accident involved at least eight large vehicles and cars, causing injuries to one person.

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