Dozens of
motorbikes suddenly crashed to the ground in Hanoi's Kim Lien Tunnel Monday for
no apparent reason.
A severe
traffic jam ensued and no injuries were reported, but new questions have arisen
about Kim Lien's safety. The bridge has been hailed as the most modern and
advanced in Vietnam before it opened to massive flooding in its first few days
of operations last year. Complaints of cracks and leaks in the tunnel also
followed, but experts found no cracks and said the leaks were normal.
Many of the
motorbike victims said they inexplicably lost control of their vehicles in the
middle of the tunnel without understanding why.
Others said
the fact that motorbikes in front of them collapsed made them brake urgently or
crash into falling vehicles.
The domino
effect caused a traffic jam in rush hour on Monday morning.
Hanoi
Traffic Project Company, which manages the Kim Lien Tunnel, said the falls were
not linked to the road's design or any other technical issue.
The firm
said rainwater in combination dust on the road made the ground slippery, so that
motorcyclists who drove too fast easily fell down.
It had been
raining in Hanoi and rainwater entered it via motorbike tires.
Dr. Khuat
Viet Hung, deputy director of Transport Management and Zoning Institute, said
relevant agencies should wash the road regularly to reduce dust.
He also
suggested installing speed bumps to minimize falls.
Kim Lien
Tunnel, which links Dai Co Viet and Dao Duy Anh streets of Hanoi, was
inaugurated in mid-June last year.