Ho Chi Minh City has invested 1.1 trillion VND (48.4 million USD) in the past two years to implement 36 projects in fire prevention and control and rescue as well as provide equipment for departments and agencies in the city.

The figure was revealed during a conference held by the municipal Party Committee on September 1 to review two years of implementing the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Directive 47-CT/TW and municipal Party Standing Committee’s Directive 31-CT/TU on strengthening leadership in fire prevention, control and rescue.

Lieutenant General Bui Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Public Security said that Ho Chi Minh City has been the leading locality in the country in strengthening the leadership and direction on fire prevention, control and rescue.

However, he pointed out that many houses in inner streets of the city have been expanded illegally, narrowing the space for rescue work, while water for fire rescue has yet to access many small valleys where there is high risk of fire.

Notably, the city has over 1,000 high-rise and super-high buildings, while it has yet to equip itself with fire rescue helicopters, causing difficulties in rescue work in case of fire, he said.

Meanwhile, Colonel Le Tan Buu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department of Fire Prevention and Rescue, said that six wards and districts of the city have yet to form office for fire prevention and rescue.

He proposed that the city set up professional fire rescue teams to improve the effectiveness of the work.

Tat Thanh Cang, Vice Standing Secretary of the city Party Committee asked the city’s Fire Rescue Police to coordinate with relevant agencies to tighten management and evacuate production facilities with high risk of fire out of residential areas, while popularizing escape methods in case of accident.

In the past two years, the city recorded 3,048 fire incidents, killing 32 and injuring 87 others, with total property loss of about 375 billion VND.

Local fire rescue force distinguished 841 cases and made 445 rescues, saving 136 people.

VNA