Representatives of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society visited a victim of the tragic fire at a local hospital in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Ministry of Public Security has instructed local police departments to collaborate with agencies to inspect fire safety in mini apartment blocks and high-occupancy lodgings, aiming to swiftly identify and rigorously address any breaches.

This directive was issued on Wednesday evening following a devastating fire in a complex on Khương Hạ Street, Thanh Xuân District, Hà Nội, the previous Tuesday at midnight, which resulted in the deaths of 56 individuals and injuries to 37.

The initiative is in place to bolster the efficacy of national fire prevention and response management by the State.

The ministry highlighted that the Party Secretariat, Government, and Prime Minister have disseminated numerous documents urging all tiers and sectors to rigorously enforce fire safety regulations. Nonetheless, implementation, particularly at the grassroots, has exhibited lapses, as noted by the ministry.

Subsequently, the ministry has directed local police units to partner with media outlets, promoting fire safety awareness during peak viewing hours on local TV channels, over public announcement systems in residential zones, and through group messaging platforms on Zalo and Facebook.

Furthermore, the ministry stated that local police departments are to provide guidance on fire-fighting and evacuation procedures to all households and individuals residing or working in mini-flats or densely populated accommodation establishments.

The ministry tasked the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department to collaborate with units under the Ministry of Construction. Their joint objective is to present a preliminary assessment covering eight months of executing Directive No 01 from the Prime Minister, focused on bolstering fire prevention and response in the current context.

Simultaneously, this department is expected to suggest immediate strategies to the Government for augmenting fire prevention in mini-flats and accommodation establishments with a high concentration of residents.

The departmental leaders are mandated to oversee and be accountable to the ministry for the enforcement outcomes from the localities.

Support for victims

Following the guidance of Hà Nội's People's Committee to address the aftermath of the blaze on Khương Hạ Street, Thanh Xuân District on Tuesday midnight, the city's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs visited local hospitals on Thursday to extend support and uplift the spirits of the victims.

From the city's budget, the department contributed VNĐ10 million (US$410) to the families of each deceased victim and VNĐ5 million ($205) to every injured individual.

Furthermore, the city's Children's Sponsorship Fund donated an extra VNĐ5 million to families who lost a child in the tragedy, and VNĐ10 million to those with a child injured in the incident.

On Wednesday evening, Lê Đình Hùng, the deputy chairman of the Hà Nội Labour Confederation, visited Military Hospital 103 to offer aid to the families of union members affected by the fire. Hùng conveyed that the confederation had set aside VNĐ10 million for the kin of each deceased victim and VNĐ5 million for each injured individual from the confederation's own funds.

By Thursday morning, the city’s Education and Training Union had raised nearly VNĐ180 million ($7,400) in donations for the fire victims. The education sector mentioned that fundraising initiatives for the affected individuals would be initiated in local schools in the coming days. — VNS