Hanoi People Council Legal Department have proposed the removal of extensions at all apartments that block emergency exits.

An apartment in Thanh Xuan District

Statistics from the Department of Construction showed that the city had 1,579 old apartment buildings built from 1960 to 1992. There are five resettlement buildings built before 2001 when the law on fire safety took effect. The department's vice head Nguyen Chi Dung said it was impossible to ensure fire safety standards at these buildings.

The old apartment buildings in Bach Khoa Ward don't have fire extinguishers in the hallways or fire alarm systems. Most households have built extended overhanging rooms to enlarge their living spaced and used grills to block the balconies to prevent thieves and children from falling. But this means they are also trapped in the house in cases of emergency. 

The roads around those buildings are blocked by parking so fire engines have a hard time entering the location.

There are also many fire safety risks at 121 old apartment buildings in Thanh Xuan District. The residents still lack firefighting knowledge. Many people burn votive offerings right inside their houses or the hallways.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, head of the Legal Department, said the state ownership and management ratio must be clear before they can build fire safety plan for those apartments. Moreover, since the ground floors are often preserved for businesses, the exit staircases are blocked.

Khong Minh Thao, vice chairman of Thanh Xuan District, said the apartment buildings had been completely sold so they couldn't use the state budget to improve fire safety standards. Only old people and children attend firefighting courses the authorities held so it will not be very effective to install more fire extinguishers.

Nam urged the authorities to remove extensions. He said, "An exit window must be created for those house extensions. Households without fire extinguishers will be reported and they should buy one quickly or they will be forced to do so. Ward and district people's committees have the authority for the implementation of this."

Tien Phong/dtinews