Ho Chi Minh City holds fire drill at Saigon Centre skyscraper
Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 17:12 GMT+7
Firefighters in Ho Chi Minh City participated in a fire drill on Wednesday morning at the 194-meter-high Saigon Centre skyscraper in District 1.
The hypothetical situation was that a fire broke out at 9:00 am on Wednesday in the B2 basement of Tower No. 2 of the high-rise which includes 43 floors and six basements at 65-67 Le Loi Boulevard, District 1.
In the specific situation, gas leaked out in the B2 basement, together with a heat source, resulting in the blaze and an explosion which pulled down auxiliary facilities at a store.
Firefighters participate in a fire drill to save 6,300 people inside Saigon Centre skyscraper in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Customers and staff on the fifth floor flocked to an elevator. The elevator later stopped suddenly, leading to many people inside panicking, having trouble breathing, and fainting.
The incident also damaged two cars and caused them to burst into flames due to a fuel leak.
At the time of the fire, there were 6,300 people inside the building which is some 151,300 square meters in area.
The head of the firefighting force at Saigon Centre asked security guards and technicians to respond to the fire at the highest level and informed the Ho Chi Minh City Firefighting Police of the case.
After receiving the report, the Firefighting Police immediately dispatched firefighters and vehicles to the scene.
Firefighters from the District 1 Police and staff from District 1 Hospital and the District 1 Red Cross Society were also mobilized.
Reaching the scene, the firefighters quickly searched for and saved people from the building, extinguished the fire, and prevented it from spreading to adjacent areas.
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| People run out of Saigon Centre skyscraper at 65-67 Le Loi Boulevard, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. |
The Ho Chi Minh City Firefighting Police later reported the incident to higher-level agencies and asked for assistance.
The Ho Chi Minh City Police and other departments and agencies sent forces and vehicles to the scene to support the search, rescue, and firefighting efforts.
In particular, the Ho Chi Minh City Police detached 887 people from 17 units and supporting vehicles and equipment.
Police in District 1, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 7, District 8, District 10, Binh Thanh District, and Thu Duc City seconded 109 vehicles to the scene.
The fire was put out after 30 minutes. The firefighters continued to spray water to cool down the building in a bid to prevent the fire from reigniting.
Forces saved more than 300 people and instructed the remaining 6,000 people to exit the skyscraper.
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| Many people inside the building have trouble breathing and faint. |
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| The incident damaged two cars and caused them to burst into flames. |
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| There were 6,300 people inside the building at the time of the fire. |
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| The head of the firefighting force at Saigon Centre in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City regulate the fire fighting through a walkie-talkie. |
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| Firefighters from the District 1 Police and staff from District 1 Hospital and the District 1 Red Cross Society were also mobilized. |
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| Firefighters saved people from the building, extinguished the fire, and prevented it from spreading to adjacent areas. |
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| The Ho Chi Minh City Police and other departments and agencies sent forces and vehicles to the scene to support the search, rescue, and firefighting efforts. |
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| Forces and vehicles reach the scene to support the search, rescue, and firefighting efforts. |
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| The Ho Chi Minh City Police detached 887 people from 17 units and supporting vehicles and equipment. |
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| Many firefighters and vehicles were sent to the scene. |
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| Firefighters continue to spray water to cool down the building in a bid to prevent the fire from reigniting. |
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| Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police, Major General Le Xuan The, deputy head of the High Command of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of departments and agencies, and thousands of firefighters and residents in the city joined the fire drill. |
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