Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City is at risk of closure as flooding threatens the integrity of a power station supplying electricity to air traffic control facilities.

A Vietnam Airlines plane Tan Son Nhat International Airport

Pham Vu Cuong, deputy director of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, said some areas of the airport were under 20cm of water and a power station had been flooded.

Drainage problems of canals surrounding the airport have been blamed for the inundation. Nearly haft of the canals have been used as rubbish dumps.

“The canals help to deal with 50% of water on the runways, but they haven't been dredged for a long time, resulting in  serious flooding," Cuong said.

Sandbags are being used to channel floodwater away from vital facilities.