The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Edition: International | Vietnamese
© Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved.
At around 6 a.m., flames and smoke began to engulf the first floor of a house on TA16 Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 12.
Nguyen Phi Hung, 42, along with his wife and three-year-old daughter, had been sleeping on the second floor at the time.
Locals tried to extinguish the fire but failed. As the doors were locked, they also could not gain access into the house.
As the flames raged on and black smoke filled the air, the people inside the house ran to the balcony for help. Their neighbors climbed up the balcony and used tools to tear apart the metal bars enclosing the balcony, creating enough room for the family members to escape.
A video captured by eyewitnesses shows people rescue a neighbors' family from a burning house in HCMC's District 12, July 4, 2023.
Dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the scene, and the fire was put under control in about 15 minutes.
"The house owner said they were sleeping inside an enclosed room, so they were not aware a fire had started," said Nam, a neighbor who participated in the rescue of the family.
Cung Quang Ha, chairman of the Thoi An Ward People’s Committee, said the victims had been taken to a local hospital for medical care and their health is now stable. The fire may have been caused by an electric malfunction, he added.
