Thick black smoke swept through a Ho Chi Minh City hotel before dawn on Sept. 7, trapping dozens inside before firefighters and residents rescued 26 people. Two guests died.
As of 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, Ho Chi Minh City authorities were still cordoning off the scene of the hotel fire on Tan Ky Tan Quy Street in Tan Son Nhi Ward as they investigated its cause.
According to preliminary information, authorities and local residents worked together to rescue 26 people in time. However, two people died in the fire.
The victims were guests staying in separate rooms. They were identified as N.T.N.H., 24, a resident of Phu Dinh Ward, and H.T.H., 20, from Hue City.
Pounding on doors before dawn
Victims are brought safely out of the hotel. Photo: CACC
At around 5:09 a.m. that morning, the command information center of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department of Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue received a report of a fire at the hotel.
The building consists of a ground floor, a mezzanine, four upper floors and a rooftop, with a total of 19 rooms. Of these, 16 were rented to guests and three were used by the owner’s family.
When the fire broke out, most people in the surrounding neighborhood were still asleep.
Nguyen Hien, 56, who lives near the scene, remained shaken as she recalled the moment she realized the hotel was on fire.
Hien said she was inside her home when she heard loud shouting and frantic pounding on doors. At first, she thought a robbery was taking place and went outside to see what was happening. The hotel’s roller shutter was still tightly closed, while a large crowd of passersby had gathered outside but had no tools to force it open.
“By then, thick black smoke was billowing from the lower floor up through the building. Above, many people were panicking and desperately looking for a way out. More than a dozen people were crowded together on the rooftop, their faces filled with fear as they repeatedly signaled for help,” Hien recalled.
According to Hien, people on the ground shouted instructions to those trapped inside, trying to guide them toward possible escape routes. Some of those trapped lowered ropes from the upper floors and attempted to climb down to safety.
Rescuing people through a sea of smoke
Fire prevention, firefighting and rescue police approach the scene of the hotel fire. Photo: MH
Immediately after receiving the report, the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department dispatched firefighting and rescue teams from Areas 13 and 14, sending a total of seven specialized vehicles and 48 officers and firefighters to the scene.
Reconnaissance teams immediately entered the building from multiple directions, including stairways, emergency exits, balconies and the roof, to locate the fire, assess the density of the smoke and determine where victims were trapped.
While waiting for professional rescue teams to arrive, Hien and other nearby residents took the initiative to help break open the front entrance, allowing several people to escape.
Hien personally helped one victim out of the building. The person emerged with a face blackened by smoke, trembling and struggling to breathe. She helped the victim clean up and drink some water before an ambulance arrived.
Thanks to the rapid response of firefighters and the determined assistance of local residents, 26 trapped people were guided or rescued safely from the building. Seven of them were taken for medical examinations.
By 5:17 a.m., the fire had been completely extinguished.
People trapped inside the hotel are rescued. Photo: CACC
The blaze left two people dead and burned an area of about 12 square meters within the building’s total floor area of 503 square meters. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to neighboring homes and protected a significant amount of property.
Following the deadly incident, fire prevention and rescue authorities advised accommodation businesses to switch off electrical equipment when not in use, regularly inspect electrical wiring and keep flammable materials away from heat sources.
Businesses must also be fully equipped with firefighting equipment, keep emergency exits unobstructed at all times and never lock doors leading to stairwells.
In the event of a fire, people are advised to remain calm, raise the alarm and immediately call 114 or use the Help114 app. They should cover their nose and mouth with a damp cloth when moving through smoke and must never use elevators or hide inside bathrooms.
Vietnamnet.vn
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