More than 200 manhole covers on Hanoi highway were smashed.

Ho Chi Minh City A series of manhole covers and panels stretching over ten kilometers on Hanoi Highway and Thu Duc City were smashed and their steel bars were taken.

On May 24, a representative of the Hanoi Highway Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company said that the manhole cover, a woven sheet 70 cm long, 50 cm wide, 7 cm thick, used to cover sewers, drainage ditches, and block trash along the highway, was smashed to pieces, and the steel reinforcement was removed. The incident occurred from late April to mid-May.

Manhole covers were smashed to steal steel on Hanoi Highway, Long Thanh My Ward, Thu Duc City. Photo: Dinh Van — Manhole covers were smashed to steal steel on Hanoi Highway, Long Thanh My Ward, Thu Duc City. Photo: *Dinh Van*

The damaged works stretched from the Cat Lai intersection (An Phu ward), Thu Duc crossroads to the intersection of the National University of the city. In many locations, manhole covers and panels were broken, concrete mortar filled the ditches with garbage. Many places became holes about 40 cm deep, posing a potential danger to pedestrians.

According to a representative of the Hanoi Highway Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, some people took advantage of the early morning to break the panels and manhole covers to get steel to sell as scrap. On May 16, a patrol unit discovered a man on a motorbike using a hammer to break concrete to get steel. This person then ran away, leaving behind his motorbike and a sack containing dozens of steel bars taken from the manhole cover.

The company recast a series of panels and reinstalled them in the damaged areas to ensure safety. The replacement panels cost about VND220,000 each for small ones and VND500,000 for larger ones. The incident has been reported to Thu Duc City police for investigation.

The investor has replaced the new panels to ensure safety. Photo: Ha Giang — The investor has replaced the new panels to ensure safety. Photo: *Ha Giang*

Hanoi Highway is over 15 km long, from Saigon Bridge to Tram 2 intersection, connecting to National Highway 1 connecting through Binh Duong and Dong Nai. This is a vital traffic axis at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, parallel to Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien).

Last year, dozens of manhole covers at Thu Thiem 2 Bridge (now Ba Son, connecting District 1 with Thu Duc City) and several roads in the Thu Thiem urban area were also stolen by thieves. The suspected thief was later arrested.

Dinh Van - Gia Minh

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