Bar fire in Hanoi, two firefighters injured

At around 6:30 p.m., a fire broke out on the second floor of Star 3 Bar, 67 Pho Duc Chinh, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District. The bar is 2 stories high, roofed with corrugated iron, built with concrete columns and an iron frame, with a frontage of about 30 meters and a depth of 10 meters. Normally, the bar is very crowded, but it is currently closed for repairs.

According to witnesses, the fire was small at first, and the bar had a tight soundproofing system, making it difficult to detect smoke. At around 8 p.m., the fire caught on the soundproof wall made of bricks, foam, rubber, and wood, causing it to burn fiercely, emitting acrid smoke. The sound, lighting, and air conditioning equipment in the bar burned, creating many explosions.

About 15 fire trucks, including a ladder truck, an excavator, and more than 100 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Three ambulances and dozens of medical staff were on standby outside Pho Duc Chinh Street.

Police deployed multiple firefighting approaches. One approach sprayed water from the front and sides of the restaurant, another used a ladder truck to lift the hose high up to spray water into the center of the fire. Another approach involved police wearing gas masks approaching the restaurant. However, this approach was difficult because the fire was strong, emitting heat and toxic gases.

At 9 p.m., the second-floor metal roof collapsed. Two injured soldiers were taken out of the fire, one with a leg injury and the other suffering from smoke inhalation, but their condition was not serious. About 100 people in the area were evacuated because the smoke was making it difficult to breathe.

By 10 p.m., the fire was temporarily under control. The flames were only smoldering or small spots, but smoke was still rising. Police could not get deep into the bar because the iron frames and corrugated iron roof were lying scattered and hot from the fire.

With the power outage in the entire area, the police used special flashlights to light up the way for their teammates to approach the bar and put out the small fires. Groups of firefighters took turns going out to rest and have dinner. They sat down on the sidewalk of Pho Duc Chinh Street, opposite the bar.

By 11pm, to completely extinguish the small fires, excavators had broken down the wall surrounding the restaurant and cleared away the collapsed iron frames so that the police could direct the water cannons deeper to spray water. It is expected that the spraying of water to cool down and prevent the fire from spreading will last for several more hours.

At both ends of Pho Duc Chinh Street and a small alley, the local militia and police set up barriers to prevent strangers from passing through. The cause of the fire is under investigation.