Doan Ngoc Hai, deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, has spent the last two days leading the charge on an ‘apartment clearing’ campaign in his locality following the deadly fire at the luxury Carina Plaza, which killed 13 and injured 91 others.

District 1, the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, is home to 86 apartment complexes built before 1975, many of which lack sufficient fire protection systems.

Residents of these run-down apartments clutter communal hallways and common spaces with junk and household goods they do not want to carry out of the building or cannot fit in their own apartment, creating serious fire safety hazards such as blocking escape routes for residents and creating obstacles that could block access for firefights battling a blaze.

Starting the campaign

The District 1 deputy chairman kicked off his ‘apartment clearing’ campaign on Tuesday with a visit to a condominium at 145 Nguyen Trai Street, Ben Thanh Ward.

Hai became a household name after launching a ‘sidewalk clearing’ campaign last year which came to an abrupt end following his resignation.

The deputy chairman’s resignation has not yet been approved by the municipal administration.

Constructed before 1975, the 7-floor building contains 60 apartments, most of which are in a rough state.

The inspection uncovered that the building’s basement failed to meet fire safety requirements, particularly as it was being used to store flammable materials and its entrance was blocked.

Hallways and common spaces throughout the building were filled with all kinds of discarded objects, including water containers, cardboard boxes, and unused construction materials.

The building’s fire escape leading to Le Lai Street has also been re-constructed and transformed into a small living space.

Most egregiously, the building’s sprinkler system was found to be defective.

Hai ended his visit by ordering that the objects cluttering the building’s interior be removed.

Other problems were also noted for attention by the deputy chairman.

The fire hose reel cabinet in the apartment’s basement is blocked by discarded furniture. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Discarded objects occupy a common space inside the building at 145 Nguyen Trai Street. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Utility cables clutter the inside of the apartment building at 145 Nguyen Trai Street. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Second day into the ‘apartment clearing’ campaign

On Wednesday, Hai continued with his ‘apartment clearing’ campaign at two other condominium complexes in District 1.

While checking the apartment building at 14 Nguyen Thi Nghia Street in Ben Thanh Ward, the deputy chairman spotted a large tarpaulin covering the building’s well-hole and immediately ordered its removal.

A team led by Hai also cleared and confiscated various discarded materials and furniture left in the building’s hallways.

A charcoal stove is left beside two fire extinguishers inside the apartment building at 14 Nguyen Thi Nghia Street. Photo: Tuoi Tre

An apartment at 14 Nguyen Thi Nghia Street was illegally renovated to include a new room for cooking. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Plastic sheeting and discarded tires are stored in a common space at 14 Nguyen Thi Nghia Street. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Also on Wednesday, Hai and other law-enforcement officers paid a visit to the apartment complex located at 26 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Nghe Ward.

A hallway in the building was found to be occupied by a large number of paintings advertised for sale by a tenant.

Empty spaces underneath the staircase in the building were being used as storage space for flammable objects such as cardboard boxes, plastic containers, and wooden painting frames.

The deputy chairman immediately ordered that the objects be cleared.

A hallway in the apartment building at 26 Ly Tu Trong Street was occupied by paintings for sale by a local tenant. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Officers clear discarded objects from inside 26 Ly Tu Trong Street. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Doan Ngoc Hai was hailed as a “hero” from initiating the 'sidewalk clearing' campaign within his locality from January to October 2017.

His ‘sidewalk clearing’ campaign sought to return the sidewalks, which were being occupied by street food vendors and illegally-parked vehicles, to pedestrians.

The deputy chairman’s initiative was replicated in other districts and provinces across the country before its coming to an abrupt end last year.

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