Hanoi - A Vietnamese man who survived after jumping from the ninth floor of a Ho Chi Minh City building has been discharged from the hospital, a doctor said Thursday.

Bui Anh Hao, 26, was visiting a relative at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on August 8 when he attempted to commit suicide by jumping from a ninth-floor balcony, according to doctor Tran Quang Vinh.

Hao fell 40 metres and landed on the roof of a seven-seat van, breaking his shoulder blade and arm and receiving minor head injuries, the doctor said.

"The roof of the van saved him, but it's still a miracle," Vinh said. "If he had jumped to the ground, there wouldn't have been any chance of survival."

Hao was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday in good condition, according to the doctor.

"He said his life was hard, so he decided to kill himself, but now he regrets doing it," Vinh said.

Vinh said that just four hours after Hao's suicide attempt, a 40-year-old woman had jumped from the very same hospital balcony. She died instantly.

The doctor declined to say how many other suicide attempts had been made from the balcony. (dpa)