Fire kills 11 in Hanoi coffee shop

By Staff reporters   December 18, 2024 | 10:02 am PT
A fire broke out at a coffee shop on Hanoi on Wednesday night, allegedly caused by a petrol bomb, claiming at least 11 lives.

The shop, a popular venue for singing gatherings, was quickly engulfed in flames and smoke, which spread to a neighboring house.

A fire broke out at a coffee shop on Hanoi's Pham Van Dong Street.

Dozens of firefighters and vehicles were dispatched to contain the blaze. Once under control, rescue teams searched the building, retrieving multiple bodies wrapped in blankets.

By 3 a.m. Thursday, the police have found 11 people dead. They have rescued seven other people, with five in stable conditions and two hospitalized.

Ambulances lined the street as authorities worked to manage the aftermath of the tragedy.

The house that caught fire is located near the Pham Van Dong overpass, Dec. 19, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

The house that caught fire is located near the Pham Van Dong overpass, Dec. 19, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

The person allegedly responsible for the fire, a 51-year-old man, has been arrested.

He said he had come for a beer and had some dispute with the staff, which prompted him to pour gasoline into the house, igniting a fire on the first floor and blocking the escape route for those inside.

Security camera footage showed a man carrying a bucket towards the coffee shop at 11:01 p.m. and a fire erupted seconds after that.

Footage from the scene captured an image of a man carrying a bucket believed to contain gasoline.

 
 
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