Heavy rain, flooding snarl Ho Chi Minh City traffic during morning rush hour

Morning commuters faced massive gridlock Wednesday as heavy rain and flooding disrupted multiple routes leading into downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

Vehicles backed up for more than one kilometer on Nguyen Huu Canh Street near Thu Thiem Bridge during the morning rush.

The prolonged gridlock choked traffic moving along the key corridor heading directly into downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

Motorbikes squeeze between cars on Nguyen Huu Canh Street.

Motorbikes squeeze between cars on Nguyen Huu Canh Street.

Motorbikes squeeze between cars on Nguyen Huu Canh Street.

Long lines of cars queue on Mai Chi Tho Street toward Thu Thiem Tunnel and downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

A 50-m road section near Ba Son Bridge leading into the city center is submerged by around 30 cm, worsening congestion as travelers tried to avoid the floodwaters.

Traffic backed up at Dien Bien Phu Roundabout, prompting many drivers to switch to Truong Sa Street along the Nhieu Loc Canal. The influx of vehicles caused congestion stretching for more than a kilometer on Truong Sa.

Heavy traffic around the circle of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Binh Khiem streets in the downtown area.

Traffic stalled at the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, creating severe slowdowns in the area.

Traffic stalled at the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, creating severe slowdowns in the area.

Traffic stalled at the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, creating severe slowdowns in the area.

Vehicles pack the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, with some motorbikes moving onto the sidewalks.

Vehicles pack the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, with some motorbikes moving onto the sidewalks.

Vehicles pack the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, with some motorbikes moving onto the sidewalks.

Vehicles pack the MK intersection near Rach Chiec Bridge, with some motorbikes moving onto the sidewalks.

Commuters pulling over in the middle of travel lanes to put on raincoats further obstructed vehicle flow. These sudden stops created bottlenecks across the roadway, intensifying the morning congestion.

A motorcyclist fell on the way to Rach Chiec Bridge.

Heavy rain during the morning rush hour brought severe, sustained congestion to major thoroughfares linking Thu Duc City to downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

The above picture shows traffic held to a standstill along Dinh Bo Linh Street, leaving vehicles gridlocked all the way from Binh Trieu Bridge through to the Bach Dang intersection.

Vehicles stretch into long queues along Binh Trieu Bridge, creating heavy backups during the commute toward downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

The bottleneck slowed inbound traffic to a crawl as motorists struggled to cross the bridge into the city center.