VietNamNet Bridge – Three hours after the first explosion at the firework factory which made the whole Thanh Ba district in the midland province of Phu Tho shake, the rescue forces could approach the scene. Many bodies and dozens of wounded people were brought out.

Patients are transported to a hospital in Phu Tho.

Mr. Phi Xuan Trung, Khai Xuan commune chairman, said the explosions began at 7h55am on October 12, and lasts for hours. The smell of firecracker powder was very strong. The vast areas around the firework warehouse were shaking. Thousands of people were evacuated from these areas. Many fire trucks and ambulances were sent to the scene.

Teacher Nguyen Nhu Quynh, whose house is located about 3 km from the explosion site, said that after the first explosion, her house was shaking, the doors were jerked repeatedly, then slammed down and hit the wall. She barely heard her neighbors telling each other that there were many people who died, while the public speakers called for people who live within a radius of 15km from the firework warehouse to evacuate. She tried to call her friends and relatives who live near the firework factory but she could not communicate with anyone. Her family and many households in the village urgently lived their homes.

A representative of Thanh Ba district hospital said there were many patients being hospitalized but the number was not fixed yet. All of them were seriously injured. Some of them were transported to hospitals in Hanoi. However, many people were still in the site of incident. Ambulances kept going in and out of the site.

The Viet Tri Hospital in Viet Tri City sent all doctors, nurses and the entire staff and students of the College of Medicine students and ambulances to Thanh Ba district to pick up patients.

Mr. Le Quang Tho, deputy director of Phu Tho Department of Health said the agency sent all forces and emergency vehicles to the area outside the explosion site. All hospitals in the province were alerted and they were ready to receive the wounded people.

By 9:30am, explosions from the firework factory kept continuing, with high smoke columns. In the rumbling explosions, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong, Chair of Chi Tien Commune in Thanh Ba district said: "People are fleeing."

Chief of the clinic of Khai Xuan commune said that from the clinic, which is about 2 km from the firework factory, he could still hear the explosions.

By 11:30am, most of Thanh Ba people lived their homes to the adjacent areas such as Thanh Tri City or Thanh Son district. The smell of smoke and firecracker powder was dense in the area. About 27 km from Thanh Ba, people still heard the explosion and the ground was shaking.

At the scene, Major General Le Quang Dai, commander of the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command said the rescuers still could not have access to the exploded firework warehouse but the two adjacent firework warehouses were separated. Based on the unique mechanism of the firework warehouse, at least over one hour after the explosions, the rescuers could enter to stamp out the fire.

The explosion occurred at the 17A production line of Enterprise 4, Z121 Factory of the Ministry of Defense. On working days, the enterprise has about 300 workers, mostly women. Today is a holiday so most of them were at home.

According to Major General Le Quang Dai, at the time of the explosions, there were a few dozens of workers at the enterprises but most of them escaped. "We still do not know how many people are still trapped in," he said.

By 11:30am, the Major General said the explosion was controlled. Rescuers had access to the scene.

At least 15 people have been identified dead and dozens of others were wounded. The rescue task was carried out expeditiously. The autopsies and evidence collections were also conducted simultaneously.

Thanh Ba district police said there was no risk of explosion in the other firework warehouses but local people still had to evacuate to avoid smoke and toxic gases.

By 3pm, Dr Tuan from the Phu Tho Town Hospital said the hospital received nearly 200 patients. After first aid, more than half of the patients were transferred to the Phu Tho General Hospital in Viet Tri City, Military Hospital 103 and the National Burn Institute in Hanoi.

The firework enterprise No. 4 is about 10km from the Z121 factory. Mr. Dong, Chief of Z121 Factory Office, said it was an accident and the company was focusing on handling it.

Z121 plant is the only producer and supplier of fireworks for national holidays in Vietnam.

Firework warehouse explosion destroys houses

The explosion taken by Google Map.

People flee from home.

On the morning of October 12, a loud explosion came from the firework warehouse of Z121 factory, making houses located 200-300 m from the warehouse shaking.

Glass windows were broken.

 And this is the scene when the owner of the house returned 4 hours after the explosion.

This car was in a garage, about 300m from the firework warehouse.

The bike of a vegetable trader at the village market.

VNN/VTC/Trithuc/VNE