The fire started at around 7:30 p.m. Monday along a section of Tau Hu Canal that lies across Vo Van Kiet Boulevard in District 1.
It started from a wood processing factory and quickly spread to other houses.
Photo by Maika Elan
Firefighters used motorboats to approach the scene on Monday. It took until 9 p.m. for the fire to be put under control. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Photo by Dang Le
The strong heat bent the iron sheets that cover the roofs of what used to be houses in the area.
Tang Xuan Phong, chairman of Ward 2, said the fire spanned nearly 500 sq.m, affecting eight families and 26 people in total.
The fire destroyed several houses and the furniture inside.
A local named Khanh said the wood processing facility has too many inflammable materials inside, allowing the fire to grow fiercer in just a blink of an eye.
A close-up look at a house that was destroyed by the fire.
The owner, Hong Nhung, said her family now must rent a place to live temporarily.
The fire area lies around 3 km from Ben Thanh Market.
Tau Hu Canal acts as a boundary between districts 5, 6 and 8.
There are tens of thousands of shabby houses along the canal. The city’s authorities have mulled plans to relocate them for years, but no action has yet been taken.
Firefighters spray water to kill the fire. Video by Nguyen Diep
