The scene of the blaze that reportedly started from the Idol karaoke parlor on Tran Quoc Thao Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3. Photo: Hoai Nhon
One man has been confirmed dead after a huge fire swept through a karaoke parlor and quickly spread to adjacent houses in downtown Ho Chi Minh City late Tuesday, consuming a large amount of properties and forcing residents to flee in panic.
At 0 am Wednesday, firefighters managed to almost put out the blaze that reportedly started three hours earlier at the four-story Idol karaoke parlor on Tran Quoc Thao Street in District 3.
At 11 pm, more fire engines and ambulances continued to be deployed.
The fire quickly raged out of control and spread to at least five houses nearby, eyewitnesses said. It has consumed almost all the properties in the karaoke parlor and destroyed a motorbike shop and several houses.
No casualties have been reported but firefighters are concerned that there may have still people trapped inside the karaoke parlor.
Residents living nearby have been evacuated and power has been cut on a massive scale. Police also cordoned off Tran Quoc Thao Street.
Nguyen Thanh Dung, who lives in an apartment block facing the fire scene, said he heard a loud blast at around 9 pm and then saw the blaze starting to rage from the karaoke parlor.
“People fled in panic and the fire spread so quickly,” Dung was quoted by news website VnExpress as saying.
Firefighters struggle to put out the blaze. Photo: Bach Duong
Several other eyewitnesses also said they saw the blaze from the signboard of the karaoke parlor.
“I’ve never seen such a big and horrendous fire,” a lady living nearby told VnExpress.
Tat Thanh Cang, HCMC’s vice mayor, has arrived at the scene to instruct the firefighting work.
“We’re mobilizing all available resources to quell the blaze. We’ll make further announcements when it is completely under control,” said Le Tan Buu, director of the HCMC Department of Firefighting Police.
Two men were arrested when they allegedly attempted to loot motorbikes from the fire scene, local police said.
A house fire killed a family of six in the northern port city of Hai Phong early Monday after a short circuit sent flames ripping across the home’s wood floors and piles of loose cloth.
Deadly fires are common in Vietnam and are generally blamed on a lack of fire-safety measures.
TO BE UPDATED…
Đăng ký: VietNam News