Mother and two daughters killed in Saigon house fire

A woman and both of her daughters were killed when their house went up in flames in Saigon early on Monday morning.

Joggers on an alley off Lac Long Quan Street in District 11 spotted the blaze at around 5 a.m. and immediately started banging on the door and shouting to wake the people inside up.

A 40-year-old man and his brother managed to escape, but his wife and two children, aged 15 and 16 years old, got stuck inside. Firefighters have recovered their bodies.

The 40-square-meter house (430 sq ft) with a wooden attic was destroyed. Neighbors said the family had been living there for many years.

Police are investigating the cause.

Deadly fires are common in Vietnam and are generally blamed on a lack of fire-safety measures.