VN Express reported, in late Monday (17/09), firefighters combated a massive blaze in downtown Hanoi that engulfs around six homes with the first building that caught on fire was found around 66 pm and less than an hour later, the blaze has spread to several buildings in the neighbourhood.
According to the report, no deaths and injuries happened, but an intense smoke was apparent until several kilometers away. Since the fires occurred just a few meters away from the National Hospital of Pediatrics and the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, panicked residents ran for safety to the hospitals. Major traffic jams were also inevitable as the entire street was barricaded by police and firefighters.
Even though fire prevention awareness in the country is not yet well-developed, worsened by poor firefighting services, it seems that Vietnam is familiar with big fires. In March this year, at least thirteen people were killed in a Ho Chi Minh apartment complex that was engulfed by blames overnight.