At around 3:24 AM on April 28, Hanoi’s Police Command Center received a fire alert at house No. 87A, Alley 99/110/85 Dinh Cong Ha Street (Dinh Cong Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi).

Within seven minutes, fire trucks and dozens of firefighters from Hanoi’s Fire and Rescue Police Department arrived at the scene, deploying multiple firefighting and search-and-rescue teams.

Tragically, three people - Pham N.H. (31 years old), his mother Hoang T.U. (55 years old), and his daughter Pham N.N.A. (2 years old) - died from smoke inhalation.

Authorities determined the house had three floors and a rooftop structure, with escape routes installed on the third floor and the rooftop.

However, the house remained surrounded by iron "cages."

Firefighters found the three victims who succumbed to smoke inhalation in a bedroom on the third floor.

Similar to a fire on July 8, 2023, at No. 12 Tho Quan Alley (Tho Quan Ward, Dong Da District), which also left three people dead.

In that incident, Hanoi police reported that the house was a six-story tube house combining residential and nail salon services, with a total area of about 60 square meters, built with reinforced concrete.

The house had four fire extinguishers and emergency exits on the first, second, and sixth floors. However, the sixth floor was enclosed with brick walls and iron bars, and other escape routes were blocked with flammable goods and chemicals, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

The accumulation of goods from the second to sixth floors produced dense smoke and toxic gases, hindering firefighting and rescue efforts and preventing the victims from escaping.

In another tragic fire on May 13, 2023, at Thanh Cong Street (Quang Trung Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi), four people died. Investigators confirmed that the iron "cage" covering the second and third floors severely impeded firefighting efforts.

The critical escape route during fires

Bui Xuan Thai, Vice President of the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Association, noted that in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many homes and mixed-use houses are built as tube houses.

"These tube houses typically have a single escape route through staircases connecting all floors and exiting via the main door on the ground floor. Additionally, escape through balconies, rooftops, or adjacent structures is possible," Mr. Thai explained.

He emphasized that household items must be arranged logically to keep escape routes clear. He also recommended that during family meals, residents should teach all household members how to locate and use escape routes, such as opening emergency exits, during fires or explosions.

"Residents should also equip their homes with portable fire extinguishers, placed in accessible, visible locations, and train all family members, including children, on how to use them. If possible, install fire alarms, rope ladders, descent devices, and smoke masks," Mr. Thai advised.

He further stressed that households must not store flammable chemicals such as gasoline and oil inside their homes.

Dinh Hieu