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CatastropheVietnam

Vietnam: Apartment block fire in Hanoi, 56 dead

September 13, 2023

Some 70 people were rescued from a 10-story apartment building believed to house 150 residents. Deadly fires have engulfed several Vietnamese establishments in recent years, including entertainment venues.

https://p.dw.com/p/4WGaM
The burnt-out garage floor of an apartment building in Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam's deadliest fire in 20 years is thought to have started in the garage area of a crowded apartment buildingImage: Nhac Nguyen/AFP

A deadly fire struck a large apartment block in Vietnam's capital Hanoi late on Tuesday. 

Local media reported that at least 56 people were killed, including three children. Some 70 people were rescued, over 50 of whom needed hospital care due to injuries sustained. Officials say that 39 of the individuals killed have already been identified.

The apartment block is believed to house some 150 residents in all.

Later on Wednesday, Hanoi police confirmed the reports, saying that "56 people have been killed and 37 people injured."

That death toll makes it the deadliest fire to occur in Vietnam in 20 years.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the site of the tragedy on Wednesday, where he called for the completion of fire-safety regulations at small-sized apartment buildings and in densely populated residential areas, according to a government statement.

What do we know about the fire?

The fire is believed to have started in the garage floor of the building, an area packed with residents' motorcycles, just before midnight, as witnesses told French news agency AFP.

Vietnam's state news agency described the fire as "very serious."

Footage from the scene showed flames and a column of thick, dark smoke. Firefighters were seen trying to put out the fire, using hoses and ladders.

Rescue workers transport a resident from a burning building
Authorities said some 70 residents were rescued, with more than 50 requiring hospitalizationImage: picture alliance/dpa/VNA/AP

Witnesses reported people jumping from the building or to the rooftops of other nearby buildings. One witness said, "A child was put into a plastic basket and lowered down."

The flames were extinguished by early Wednesday but rescuers struggled to access the building, which stands in a narrow alley in a Hanoi residential area.

AFP reported that the building had only one exit and that it was not equipped with exterior escape ladders, moreover, its small balconies were sealed with iron bars.

Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Hanoi police confirmed that the owner of the building had been arrested on suspicion of violating fire-prevention regulations.

Deadly fires are common in Vietnam, with fires in recent years killing scores of people, including one at a Karaoke bar last year that killed more than 30.

Hanoi: Fire at karaoke lounge kills at least 13

js,rmt/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)