VietNamNet Bridge – At least 13 people were reported injured in a fire at a gas station on Tran Hung Dao Street, Hanoi, yesterday, including nine fire fighters and three employees of the gas station. All of them are being treated in the Saint Paul hospital.

Hanoi: Fuel tank catches fire near hospital

In relation to this incident, in the evening of June 3, Hanoi’s Chairman Nguyen The Thao praised the quick response of the fire-fighting force, which helped limit the damage to people and property.

Thao also directed the police and relevant bodies to urgently clarify the causes of the fire and take timely remedial measures.

According to a report compiled by the authorities, the Hanoi Anti-fire Police Department mobilized its 15 fire trucks and three more fire trucks of the High Command of the Capital City to the scene and extinguished the fire in late afternoon of the same day.

On investigating the cause of the fire, Major General Nguyen Duc Nghi, Director of the Hanoi Anti-fire Police Department said the agency had invited the Military Procuracy to investigate the incident in collaboration with the Hanoi police. However, the filling station did not strictly perform the provisions on fire prevention.

Nghi confirmed that the relevant agencies mobilized the maximum forces and means to extinguish the fire.

However, due to the volume of gas at the filling station at the time of the fire is huge (30m3 in the tanker and 75m3 in the cellar,) it was very difficult to stamp out the fire.

According to initial reports, the fire caused losses of over ten billion dong ($500,000) including three gas pumping machines worth VND750 million ($35,000) plus ten cars and motorcycles and three houses near the filling stations.

Nghi added that the Hanoi Anti-fire Police Department will check fire safety at all over 500 filling stations in Hanoi.

Hoang Sang