56 killed in Hanoi mini apartment building fire
VOV.VN - As many as 56 people, including 10 children, have been killed in a mini apartment building fire in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan district, local authorities confirmed on September 13 evening.
Thirty-nine out of the deaths have been identified, said the police, adding thirty seven people were injured in the disaster.
The local education sector reported that a total of 29 schoolchildren of various grades fell victim to the blaze, among them 10 were killed.
Authorities detained Nghiem Quang Minh, 44, the owner of the building, for questioning over violations regarding fire prevention and control rules.
They found that the structure had been built beyond its design. According to the approved license, it was a six-story building, but it fact it is now a nine-storey building.
The fire broke out at around 23:00 on September 12, and the building was quickly engulfed in flames.
More than 150 residents living in over 40 apartments scrambled to seek ways out, but many were trapped in the building.
Firefighters were deployed to the scene 10 minutes afterward, but they found it difficult to reach the building due to a small lane.
Though the fire was put out shortly later, it had recorded the largest number of casualties in the past 21 years.
