Apartment fire kills dozens in Vietnam’s capital

Authorities in Hanoi said Wednesday at least 56 people perished in the blaze of an apartment building. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visited the site on Wednesday and called for fire safety regulations to be taken seriously. The blaze broke out on Tuesday. In addition to those who died, 40 people were injured—some were forced to jump from windows to escape the blaze. The high-rise apartment building housed about 150 people.

Why was the blaze so deadly? The apartment was on a very narrow alley, which made it difficult for emergency vehicles to access the building. Firefighters said there was only one staircase and no emergency exits from the building. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Officials have detained the owner and are accusing him of violating fire safety laws.

Dig deeper: Read Kim Henderson’s article in WORLD Magazine about the search for missing soldiers in Vietnam.