Man dies in HCMC house fire

Flames and smokes came out from the first floor of a three-story house on Le Van Khuong Street, Hiep Thanh Ward at around 2:30 a.m., when there were four people inside: a couple, a child and a woman, all sleeping on different floors.

Locals tried to extinguish the fire but failed. In just a few minutes, the flames engulfed the motorbikes and the house’s interiors, with columns of smokes spreading to other floors. Three people managed to get to the balconies and escaped to neighbors’ houses.

Hoa, who lives near the scene, said when she found out about the fire, the flames were already raging.

"There were two motorbikes on the ground floor. When the fire got to them, they produced several explosions, so people did not dare to come near and rescue the others," she said.

Three firefighting trucks, along with 23 firefighters, were dispatched to the scene.

The fire was put out by 3 a.m. When firefighters got inside, they found a 32-year-old man dead due to suffocation.

Several properties were damaged in the fire.