Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam deployed a firefighting robot for the first time ever in a drill at An Duong Market in Le Chan District on Thursday morning.

Colonel Pham Viet Dung, deputy director of the city’s public security department, said that a number of market fires had taken a heavy toll on local vendors and households.

Therefore, the municipal administration conducted the fire drill at the market so that firefighters and other competent forces could learn more about the characteristics of the area and adopt more effective firefighting measures and tactics.

The drill, which gathered nearly 1,000 people and dozens of vehicles, will also raise awareness about fire safety among the market management board and vendors, Dung said.

According to an imaginary scenario of the drill, a bolt of lightning struck the canopy of an area selling fabrics and clothing in the market, causing a fire, which quickly swept through the area thanks to strong winds.

The locals tried to put out the flames but failed, prompting them to spread to other kiosks and areas outside the market.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze had hit local households surrounding the market, while 30 residents were being trapped inside.

The city’s police department dispatched more than 900 firefighters and 81 vehicles, including a firefighting robot, 40 fire trucks, three rescue vehicles, and five ambulances, to the scene.

The forces joined hands to successfully extinguish the fire.

Wrapping up the drill, Le Anh Quan, permanent vice-chairman of the municipal administration, hailed its success, saying that the deployment of an adequate number of firefighters and vehicles would help minimize damage caused by a fire.

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