A fire at a residential building in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi left 56 dead, police said on Wednesday, confirming information from state media.
“Fifty-six people were killed and 37 were injured,” police said in a statement.
Of the more than 50 fatalities, “39 have been identified,” the same source said.
Authorities reported that the owner of the property, identified as Nghiem Quang Minh, 44 years old, was detained as part of an investigation now opened related to failure to adhere to safety standards, according to news portal VN Express.
Earlier, the official news agency had reported the fire and the transfer of about fifty people to a hospital, including “dozens of dead”.
“This is a very serious fire,” the state agency added, noting that rescue teams managed to remove 70 people from the burning building.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight (6 p.m. in Lisbon) on Tuesday, according to witness statements.
Videos broadcast by Vietnamese media reveal the extent of the fire, which spread across much of the 10-story building, located in a narrow alley in a residential area of Hanoi.
“We can’t help much. There is no emergency exit, so it is impossible for the victims to escape,” a local resident told the AFP news agency.
The resources mobilized to the site included 15 fire engines and one hundred personnel, including military personnel.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chin and other officials also visited the site.
In recent years, Vietnam has been the scene of several deadly fires, raising suspicions that basic safety rules are not being followed.
Last year, 32 people were killed in a fire at a karaoke bar near Ho Chi Minh City, in the south of the country.
Source: DN
