Vietnam: Major fire engulfs Hanoi apartment block, over 50 feared dead

Reports from state media on Wednesday (September 13) suggest that a devastating fire in an apartment block in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, may have resulted in multiple deaths.

The fire erupted in the middle of the night in a 10-storey building housing with approximately 150 residents.

According to the official Vietnam News Agency, witnesses saidthe blaze started shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Authorities have rescued around 70 people, with 54 rushed to hospitals, including over 50 fatalities. While the fire has been extinguished, rescue operations to locate survivors continue, reported AFP.

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Death toll likely to increase

Investigations into the fire's cause are underway, and the official death toll is pending, though initial reports suggest more than a dozen casualties.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Van Tuyen noted the "very high" casualty count in this apartment block fire, and Dr Dao Xuan Co, director of Bach Mai Hospital, reported patients suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning were among the injured.

Residents who leapt from the burning building have sustained multiple injuries and are currently undergoing medical treatment, as disclosed by the director of the hospital.

Vietnam's Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, has called for a thorough investigation into the fire's cause and expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The Prime Minister has also urged regular assessments of buildings at high risk of fire, especially densely populated ones, as reported by Vietnam Net News.

This incident comes nearly a year after a devastating fire in a karaoke bar in Thuan An city, Binh Duong province, claimed the lives of 32 people.

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The fire, which quickly engulfed the multi-storey building's second floor, left workers and patrons trapped, forcing some to leap from windows. Several suffered injuries from these jumps, while others succumbed to asphyxiation. Authorities estimated that at least 60 people were present in the crowded karaoke establishment when the fire broke out.

(With inputs from agencies)

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