PM directs settlement of HCM City apartment building fire
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested relevant agencies to deal with the fire at Carina Plaza building at No. 1648 Vo Van Kiet street in Ho Chi Minh City's District 8, which occurred in the early morning of March 23.
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The PM asked the municipal People’s Committee to offer timely support to families of victims. He also requested the municipal People's Committee and the Ministry of Public Security to direct competent agencies to investigate the cause of the incident and regularly check high-rise buildings at risk of fire.
As many as 13 people died and tens of others were injured when the blaze started at 0:30 from the parking basement between Buildings A and B of Carina Plaza. Hundreds of people were stuck and rushed to upper storeys.
The Fire Fighting Police Department of the city sent 34 fire trucks and 200 police to the site to control the blaze and rescue stuck people. One hour later, the fire was under control, but smoke still covered the buildings. Hundreds of people escaped safely.
By 16:00 the same day, 35 injured people were discharged from hospitals and 56 others were still undergoing treatments.
In the afternoon, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh visited and extended condolences to affected families.
The city decided to provide VND60 million (US$2,634) for the family of each dead victim, and VND10-15 million for each person in emergency aid at hospitals.
The Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society plans to offer an aid of VND3 million to each family of dead victims and 1 million VND to each family of the injured.
The same aid amount will be also given by the Central Committee of Vietnam Red Cross Society.
Carina Plaza is a high-end apartment complex including three buildings with 15-21 storeys and 736 apartments. It was put into use six years ago.
