Environment

Fire at a warehouse of thousands of square meters in Ho Chi Minh City

According to VnExpress • November 12, 2023 06:33

A 17,000 m2 warehouse in an alley on Be Van Cam Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City caught fire, with smoke columns tens of meters high, accompanied by many explosions on the evening of November 11.

At around 7 p.m., smoke and fire rose from a warehouse near Tan Thuan 1, Tan Kieng Ward, District 7. People nearby and factory employees tried to put out the fire but were unsuccessful.

The fire quickly engulfed the row of houses, billowing black smoke dozens of meters high could be seen from several kilometers away.

Khói lửa từ đám cháy nhà kho bốc cao hàng chục mét. Ảnh: Hoàng Diệu — Smoke from the warehouse fire rose dozens of meters high.t

The warehouse containing office equipment, electronics, confectionery, and bottled water is located in a densely populated residential area, surrounded by schools, many import-export companies, warehouses, and parking lots. Many residents fear the fire will spread.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Department of Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue dispatched 13 fire trucks and more than 100 soldiers to the scene. Two boats and ships from nearby rivers and canals were also mobilized to put out the fire.

Cảnh sát chữa cháy kéo vòi rồng đứng lên thang vận chuyển hàng trong kho để dập lửa. Ảnh: Đình Văn — Firefighters pulled a hose up the warehouse ladder to put out the fire.

Mr. Vo Khac Thai, Secretary of the District 7 Party Committee, said that flammable materials in the warehouse caused the fire to flare up fiercely. Police prevented the fire from spreading to ensure the safety of residents as well as to reduce damage. "No human casualties were recorded," Mr. Thai said.

Lửa bao trùm kho hàng ở TP HCM trong đêm — Scene of a 17,000 m2 warehouse fire in District 7

At nearly 10 p.m., the fire was brought under control, with about 2,000 square meters of the factory burned down and collapsed. "The firefighting force made efforts to protect 15,000 square meters out of a total area of 17,000 square meters, preventing the fire from spreading to the school next door," said Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Khang, Deputy Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, Ho Chi Minh City Police.

Lieutenant Colonel Khang said that fighting the fire was difficult because the building structure had collapsed, and firefighters had to find a way to approach the source of the fire from under the warehouse when the temperature was high and there was a lot of toxic gas. The location of the fire was far from the water source, so firefighters had to use a boat to pump water from the river 500 meters away.

According to VnExpress