Pham Khac To, a tourism manager, said that waves of trash, including tree branches, wood debris and plastic trash, were pushed ashore Bai Sau, a popular beach in Vung Tau, between Monday and Wednesday.

The waste occupied 10 km of seaside, freezing all beach activities.

"Ocean currents carry the trash along and monsoon dumps them onshore. This has happened every year but the trash never exceeded several dozen tons," he said.

The beach town mobilized 3,300 people, including factory workers, soldiers, students and foreign tourists, to help clear the beach. Resorts joined hands by hiring specialized cleanup vehicles.

The trash was dumped at a local landfill.

To said beach activities have resumed on Thursday.

Rich and diverse in culture, arts, customs, and religion, along with stunning landscapes, attract millions of tourists to Vung Tau each year.

It is not uncommon in Vietnam to dump garbage directly into rivers or the sea. In 2018, Vietnam ranked fifth among countries that pollute the oceans with plastic.