Massive overnight blaze at Hanoi warehouse largely contained after overnight battle

Scene of the raging fire at 2am in alley 389, Truong Dinh Street, Tan Mai Ward, Hanoi. - Photo: VNA/VNS

HANOI: A fierce fire ripped through a warehouse and workshop late on Friday (July 18) in Tuong Mai Ward, sending residents fleeing into the night as loud explosions shook homes along Truong Dinh Street.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a succession of blasts shortly after 11.30pm in Alley 389, followed by flames shooting tens of metres into the air.

Windows of houses located barely ten metres from the depot rattled with the force of the explosions, and witnesses counted at least four blasts before a massive blaze engulfed the facility.

Initial assessments show the fire swept through an area of around 1,000 square metres used as a workshop and chemical storage site belonging to the Fruit and Vegetable Import‑Export JSC. No.1.

Due to the dry weather, the flames quickly erupted fiercely and spread rapidly to many areas.

Residents described frantic moments as people grabbed hoses and buckets, trying in vain to stop the fire from spreading before professional crews arrived.

By 12.05am on July 19, the Command Centre of the Hanoi City Police had officially received reports of the incident and immediately mobilised large‑scale firefighting resources.

The Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department dispatched sixty officers and dozens of specialised vehicles, including eight fire engines and a water tanker, to join local authorities, ward police and residents in tackling the blaze.

In total, about twenty firefighting vehicles were deployed throughout the night.

Thousands of square metres of factory were destroyed by fire.

A field command post was quickly established at the scene, with teams coordinating search‑and‑rescue operations while focusing on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby residential blocks.

Despite the intensity of the flames, crews managed to contain the blaze within the compound, ensuring that surrounding homes were not consumed.

Several firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation during the operation and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Officials said the fire was largely suppressed after hours of effort, but crews remained on site through the night to monitor and extinguish any flare‑ups.

The cause of the fire and the sequence of explosions remain under investigation by the relevant authorities. - Vietnam News/ANN