HANOI, VIETNAM – A woman has died in a tragic and bizarre accident at an apartment complex in Hanoi after a large, inflatable water slide was lifted off the ground by a violent storm and hurled into the balcony where she was standing.
The shocking incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, August 15, 2025, as a severe thunderstorm, accompanied by powerful, gusty winds, swept through the city. According to residents and initial police reports, the large inflatable water slide had been set up on the ground level of the residential complex.
As the storm intensified, the fierce winds caught the structure, which was not adequately secured, and lifted the entire massive inflatable into the air. The airborne slide was thrown uncontrollably upwards, eventually slamming into the side of a high-rise apartment building several stories up.
Tragically, the victim was standing on her apartment balcony at that exact moment and was struck directly by the object. The force of the impact caused fatal injuries.
Neighbors who witnessed the horrifying event immediately called for emergency services. Paramedics and police arrived at the scene shortly after, but the woman was pronounced dead due to the severity of her injuries. Her identity has not yet been officially released pending notification of her family.
Local police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The inquiry will focus on determining the ownership of the inflatable slide and, crucially, why it was not deflated or securely anchored, especially as weather warnings for severe thunderstorms had been issued for the Hanoi area.
The incident has sent a wave of shock and grief through the local community and has raised serious questions about safety protocols for large, temporary outdoor structures in residential areas. The tragic event serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by extreme weather and the critical importance of securing objects that can become dangerous projectiles in high winds.
