Around 5:30 PM, traffic was queuing through the tunnel, traveling from Saigon Ward (District 1) to An Khanh Ward (Thu Duc City). Nearing the middle of the tunnel, four cars reportedly failed to maintain a safe distance and collided in a chain reaction.

A damaged car being moved from the scene. Photo: Dinh Van

The accident resulted in no injuries and only minor damage to the vehicles. However, the cars blocked a lane, causing prolonged congestion on Vo Van Kiet Boulevard leading into the tunnel. The situation worsened during rush hour, with vehicles continuously piling up and creating a jam stretching nearly 1 km. Cars and motorbikes covered the road, moving inch by inch.

Tunnel management deployed staff to divert traffic from a distance to ease pressure on the accident area. Traffic police were also present to manage the scene and stationed at surrounding intersections to regulate traffic, limiting vehicles from converging on the congested point. By nearly 6:00 PM, the damaged cars were moved from the scene, but due to the large backlog of vehicles, traffic still moved slowly through the tunnel.

Prolonged congestion in the tunnel. Photo: Dinh Van

Inaugurated in late 2011, the Saigon River Tunnel is the most crucial component of the East-West Boulevard (Vo Van Kiet - Mai Chi Tho axis). The tunnel is 1,49 km long, 33 m wide, 9 m high, and features six lanes (three for cars and motorbikes in each direction); the speed limit is 60 km/h. This tunnel is one of the main routes connecting the eastern district with the center of TP HCM, resulting in very high traffic density, with an average of approximately 55,000 cars and 300,000 motorbikes passing through daily.

By Dinh Van