Scene of Desolation Following Hanoi Boarding House Fire: Residents Recount Gas Cylinder Explosions, Motorbikes Burned to Metal Frames

According to residents living near the scene, at around 7:30 AM on October 19, a massive explosion abruptly echoed from a row of rental rooms in Alley 67 Phung Khoang, Dai Mo Ward, Hanoi. Flames quickly erupted with intense fury, sending towering columns of dark smoke billowing upward and terrifying nearby residents.

“By the time I noticed, the fire had engulfed almost the entire area. The smoke was rising very high, gas canisters were blowing up, and the motorbikes were completely burned,” a woman who witnessed the blaze recalled.

Numerous assets inside the rental enclave were reduced to charred, scattered debris by the flames. 

The chaotic aftermath at the site after the blaze was brought under control. 

According to neighbors, the fire broke out within an unregulated rental compound situated behind the An Lac Apartment Complex. A local living nearby stated that although no initial explosion was audible, gas canisters likely detonated as the flames spread across the structures.

“The fire spread extremely fast. Initially there were no blasts, but later gas cylinders must have exploded. The fire probably started around 7:50 AM, right when my wife had just left to take our child to school,” the resident recounted.

Motorbikes burned down to bare metal frames. 

All that remains across the fire scene are charred belongings, heavily warped and deformed by intense heat. 

The informal rental compound behind the An Lac Apartment Complex sustained severe damage following the October 19 morning blaze. 

Another woman reported that upon spotting the incident, the flames were already raging violently with billowing plumes of thick black smoke. Witnessing the perilous scene, she shouted to urge a tenant attempting to salvage a motorcycle to abandon the vehicle and sprint to safety.

“When I ran out, I saw someone pushing a motorbike, hesitating. I yelled at the top of my lungs: ‘Ditch the bike in the pond and run!’ He was reluctant and froze for a moment before deciding to abandon the property and save his life first,” the woman recalled.

Residents noted that because the fire erupted during early morning commute hours, many tenants had already left for work and were away from home. Nevertheless, the rapidly spreading blaze and concussive blasts sparked widespread distress among onlookers.

Extensive property damage and burned belongings across the rental compound fire in Alley 67 Phung Khoang

Upon receiving emergency reports, the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police Division of the Hanoi Municipal Police Department dispatched five fire trucks to the scene, coordinating with Dai Mo Ward Police and local responders to execute firefighting operations.

On-site assessments indicated the affected area comprised an informal settlement of low-rise boarding rooms alongside several storage units and workshops. By roughly 9:00 AM the same morning, the blaze was largely contained.

Initial reports indicate no human casualties. The root cause of the blaze and the full extent of structural and property damage remain under investigation by authorities.

Source: kenh14.vn