VietNamNet Bridge – The Ha Noi People's Committee has instructed the Construction Department to tighten inspections of houses built by residents to ensure they are safe for habitation.

The department has been asked to focus inspections on old houses and those under repair.

The directive was issued three days after a five-storey house on Huynh Thuc Khang Street in Dong Da District collapsed.

Pham Sy Liem, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations said that most residents did not follow construction regulations when building houses which lead to quality concerns.

Dong Da District police and authorised agencies have evaluated the legal documents of the collapsed house and made an assessment of the damages.

The district's Project Management Board has been assigned to build barriers around the rubble and repair the section of the neighbouring residential building which was damaged in the collapse, said Phan Hong Viet, vice chairman of the district People's Committee.

As many as 18 families living in the damaged building have been relocated. Each household received VND48 million (US$2,300) in support funds from the local authority.

Nguyen Van Hung, former rector of the University of Civil Engineering said that the person renting the house had replaced load-bearing walls with panes of glass. The reduced load-bearing capacity of the structure's first floor caused the house to collapse.

Cracks in building

People noticed cracks in a five storey building on Lane 91, Nguyen Chi Thanh Street in the same district which was leaning from its foundation on Tuesday.

The 40 sq.m house was built in 2002, said its owner Trinh Cong An. No one is currently living in the house.

An was asked to removed all furniture from the house which has been blockaded by the authorities in case of sudden collapse.

A plan has been accepted by the local authority for the owner to repair his house on his own, said vice chairman Viet.

He must keep the authority updated of the progress during renovations, said Viet.

An was ordered to finish repairs as quickly as possible to minimise any impacts on his neighbours. They have all moved to temporary housing.

Hung explained that the leaning was caused by changes in the ground layer that occurred when high-rise buildings were built nearby.

Local residents are advised to follow regulations when building houses.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News