Authorities rescued about 70 people and rushed 54 to hospital.
Hanoi:
Dozens of people have died after a massive fire at an apartment building in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, state media said on Wednesday.
The fire started just before midnight (5pm GMT) on Tuesday on the parking level of the 10-storey building, witnesses said, an area packed with residents’ motorcycles.
“Authorities rescued about 70 people and took 54 people to hospital, including dozens of dead,” the official Vietnam News Agency said.
“This is a very serious fire,” the statement said.
The fire was out by Wednesday morning, although workers continued to search for survivors.
Rescuers struggled to gain access to the building, in a highly residential area in southwestern Hanoi, located down a narrow alley.
“We couldn’t help them much,” a woman, who gave only one name Hoa and lives near the block, told AFP at the scene.
“The apartment is so locked and there is no escape route, making it impossible for the victims to get out.”
It comes a year after a fire at a three-storey karaoke bar in the commercial center of Ho Chi Minh City killed 32 people.
As many as 17 people were also injured in that fire, with the owner arrested on charges of violating fire prevention regulations.
Vietnam has suffered several deadly fires in recent years, often in entertainment venues such as popular karaoke bars.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
