VietNamNet Bridge – A massive fire engulfed the Vinh City market last Monday evening, destroying many goods stalls, but causing no casualties, according to the municipal Police Department.

A fire on Monday evening destroyed more than 100 stalls in Vinh Market, the largest trading centre in north-central Nghe An Province, causing initial losses estimated at over VND10 billion (US$5,000). (Photo: VNS)

Hundreds of firefighters and policemen were mobilised to stamp out the fire, deputy head of the department Tran Sy Phang said, adding that it had taken one and a half hours to bring the fire under control, after which time traders were allowed to collect remaining property from their stalls.

Traders said that thousands of curious onlookers and even looters had obstructed their work.

The cause of the fire, as well as the total damage, remains unclear.

Ngo Thi Thanh, who sells fishing equipment at the market, said that she could do little but look on as her property burnt to ashes.

"The blaze was strong and severe. While many people struggled to save their goods from the fire, my stall was left stuck in the middle," she said, estimating that she might have suffered around VND300 million (US$14,400) worth of loss.

Head of the Vinh Market Management Board Tran Xuan Ha told the online Vnexpress.net newspaper that the blaze had destroyed 122 stalls selling fishing equipment, iron, paint, brooms and other assorted electric equipment.

Ha added that, as the power system was always turned off at 5.30pm daily, an electrical leakage was ruled out as a possible cause of the fire.

The board is currently working with police to discover the cause of the blaze.

The 33.000-sq.m Vinh market, the largest trading centre in north-central Nghe An Province and home to around 1500 small traders, has just been renovated.

During the last four years, three massive fires have broken out at the market and its surrounding neighbourhood, causing damage worth hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News