Fire in high-rise apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City, two people died

At nearly 7am, the fire broke out on the 3rd and 4th floors of a 4-storey house, about 60 square meters wide, on Xuan Hong Street, Ward 12. The house was divided into more than a dozen rented rooms, with a motorbike parking lot on the ground floor, and there were more than 10 people living there at the time.

Some people on the ground floor and first floor rushed out through the main door, while those on the upper floors were trapped. A few minutes later, the fire broke out, and smoke billowed out, engulfing the third and fourth floors. Many people then climbed over the railings of their neighbors' houses and the electronics store next door to escape.

Mr. Hung, 45 years old, who lives next to the burning house, said the fire broke out very quickly, many people tried to bring fire extinguishers to the first floor to put out the fire but could not get close because of smoke. "There was a lot of black smoke, I saw people still standing on the balcony of the third floor, unable to find a way out," Mr. Hung said.

Several fire trucks and more than 30 firefighters arrived at the scene. Firefighters used hoses to put out the fire and then checked for trapped people. Three ambulances were also dispatched to the scene to help.

According to the police, 2 people were trapped on the 2nd and 3rd floors and died from smoke inhalation. More than 13 people were injured, suffered from skin burns, and smoke inhalation and were taken to Thong Nhat Hospital, about 2 km away, for emergency treatment.