Fire engulfs VPBank office in north-central Vietnam
A trading office of Vietnam Prosperity Joint-Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) in the north-central province of Quang Binh was engulfed in flames on February 25.
The fire broke out at around 7:30 pm at a VPBank office located at 59 To Huu Street in Quang Binh’s capital city of Dong Hoi, according to provincial police.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the fire starting from the four-story building’s first floor, before it grew and spread to the second floor in minutes.
Four fire trucks and dozens of firemen accompanied by local police officers were dispatched to the scene to put out the raging fire and prevent it from catching on to adjacent houses.
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| A fire truck responds to a fire at a VPBank office in Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Province in north-central Vietnam on February 25, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Firefighters managed to get the flames under control after nearly 30 minutes, though by that time the exterior of the office’s first and second floors had been completely burnt down.
No casualties were reported as it was outside of working hours, police said, adding that investigation was ongoing to determine what had caused the fire.
A spokesperson from VPBank later told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the fire had only caused major damage to the building’s exterior.
All cash and documents inside the office are intact, as they are always moved into a fireproof storage unit at the end of each working day for safety and security purposes, the representative said.
