'Dozens dead' as fire rages through apartment in Vietnam's capital city
Authorities in Hanoi have rescued about 70 people and taken 54 people to hospital, including "dozens of dead," state media reported.
The building's small balconies were surrounded by iron, with the apartment block having only a single exit. Photo: AFP
Dozens of people have died in a fire at an apartment block in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, with witnesses reporting screams from inside and a small child was thrown from the building.
The fire started just before midnight on Tuesday in the parking floor of the 10-storey building, witnesses said, an area packed with residents' motorbikes.
"Authorities have rescued about 70 people, rushing to hospital 54 people, including dozens of dead," the official Vietnam News Agency said on Wednesday.
"This is a very serious fire," the statement said.
The blaze was out by Wednesday morning, with rescuers struggling to access the building -- which is down a narrow alley in a residential area of southwest Hanoi.
The building's small balconies were surrounded by iron, with the apartment block having only a single exit - and no emergency ladder on the outside.
Around 150 people lived in the complex, authorities said.
The deputy prime minister, Tran Luu Quang, visited the scene Wednesday morning , state media said.
Frequent deadly fires
Vietnam has experienced several deadly fires in recent years, frequently at entertainment venues like popular karaoke bars.
A year ago, a blaze in a three-storey karaoke bar in commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City killed 32 people.
As many as 17 people were also injured in that fire, with the owner arrested on charges related to breaching fire prevention regulations.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the prime minister ordered an inspection of all high-risk venues.
Thirteen people died in 2018 after an apartment complex, also in Ho Chin Minh City, caught fire. Another 13 died in 2016 in a karaoke venue in Hanoi following a fire.
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.