The apartment building in central Hanoi could only be accessed through an alley just 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide, preventing firetrucks from reaching it, and firefighters eventually contained the fire by using hoses, state media said.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. and was accompanied by several explosions, the Vietnam News Agency said. It took an hour to extinguish.
Neighbor Nguyen Thanh Trung said he was asleep when he heard the explosions and rushed out to see what was happening. “I could feel the shock at my house,” he said, adding that he along with others got a ladder to break the window to help people escape
State media reported the building had 24 residents at the time, seven in the owner’s family and 17 tenants. The injured are stable and being treated at Hanoi Transport Hospital.
The fire started in the small courtyard in front of the building that was used as a garage for the sale and repair of electric bikes, state media reported.
The official Vietnam News Agency said the fire started around 12:30 a.m. and was accompanied by several explosions.It took an hour to extinguish the fire, and it wasn’t immediately clear how many people were inside when the fire started
The building was in a narrow alley in central Hanoi with several rooms available for rent.
