At around 9:40 a.m., the first firefighting and rescue drill at the station and Quach Thi Trang square area in front of Ben Thanh Market began.
Practices for the drill were prepared by HCMC police over 20 days prior.
A simulation involved a fire starting from the station's transformer substation, causing widespread blackout. The incident caused two trains to stop operation, stranding 500 people.
Guards sounded the alarms and began firefighting measures, but the flames spread, causing power outages. The ventilation system also stopped functioning, causing fumes to build up.
Firefighters and rescuers then came down the station to get people out. Ambulances and healthcare workers were stationed outside to help victims.
At this point in time, the T2 train encountered a problem that caused its automatic doors to malfunction, trapping 300 people inside. Rescuers had to use tools to manually open the doors and get people out.
Hundreds of passengers and visitors escaped the underground station through multiple emergency exits.
Outside the station, thousands of others from malls and shops were also on the run as smoke billowed out around Ben Thanh Market.
Fire alarm systems were activated and sent signals back to information centers of the firefighting forces of the HCMC police. Firefighting trucks were mobilized.
At the same time as the fire, traffic outside became chaotic, causing two vehicles to collide and trapping four people inside. After police officers got them out, the vehicles exploded due to fuel leakage.
Hundreds of firefighters at the scene extinguished the flames of the burning vehicles. Robots were also deployed to gain deeper access into the flames. The fire was put under control after five minutes.
Inside two high-rise buildings, with 12-14 floors, near the station, several people were also trapped inside and ran to the rooftop looking for help. Rescuers used ropes to rescue them.
The drill ended after around an hour. The simulations were to test firefighting and rescue capabilities in times of crisis, as HCMC prepares to launch its first metro line.
Ben Thanh is the central underground station of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line. It spans 236 m in length and 60 m in width, with four floors. Once it enters operations, peak periods could see up to 25,000 people inside it.
The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line will be HCMC's first, at a cost of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.8 billion). It spans 20 km, from Ben Thanh to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City. It is now 97% complete, and is expected to enter operations from July 2024.
The drill involved the scenario of 500 people being trapped at Ben Thanh underground station in HCMC's District 1. Video by VnExpress/Van Diep, Cong Khang
