Big fire in Hanoi, smoke rising dozens of meters high

The incident happened at around 8:30 pm tonight, January 9, at a row of houses near Goldmark City apartment building, Ho Tung Mau street.

Mr. Quang Hung, a witness at the scene, said that at that time, he and many people heard screams coming from the house right behind building R3 of Goldmark City apartment building.

"The fire is located in alley 196, Ho Tung Mau street. This is a business store," said Mr. Hung.

Immediately after, the fire rose very high, then quickly spread to neighboring houses. The column of smoke rose dozens of meters high, giving off a pungent smell.

Witnesses added that they also heard many small explosions from the fire area.

Upon receiving the news, the fire prevention and rescue police force quickly sent people and vehicles to the scene to extinguish the fire and evacuate people from the dangerous area. About 10 fire trucks were sent to the scene.

By about 9:20 p.m., the fire was basically contained and did not spread to the adjacent factory building including warehouse, garage and residential houses.

Firefighters are continuing to spray high-pressure water to extinguish the flames and reduce pressure. The cause and damage of the incident are being investigated.