Mr. Nguyen Huu Dinh - Vice Chairman of Bac Giang City People's Committee said that the fire caused damage to Tam Bao building, including 5 compartments, 2 wings of the Front Hall and 3 compartments of the Upper Hall with a total area of over 200 m2.
A total of 25 statues and artifacts, including 8 horizontal lacquered boards, 5 pairs of parallel sentences, some votive doors, and incense tables, were burned down. Adjacent items including two corridors, the Ancestor's house, the Mother's house, and the guest house were safely protected.
Recently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Giang province issued an official dispatch to the Provincial Museum, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Centers for Culture, Sports and Tourism of districts, towns and cities requesting to strengthen fire prevention and fighting and rescue work at museums, exhibition houses, traditional houses and historical and cultural relics.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests the Provincial Museum, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Centers for Culture, Sports and Tourism of districts, towns and cities, based on their assigned functions and tasks, to organize, direct and effectively implement fire prevention and fighting work to ensure absolute safety for museums, exhibition houses, traditional houses, historical and cultural relics, as well as documents and artifacts being preserved and displayed in localities.
Strengthening the organization of propaganda activities, disseminating knowledge about fire prevention, fire fighting and rescue for staff of museums, exhibition houses, traditional houses, historical and cultural relic management boards and visitors.
Propaganda content should focus on warning about fire and explosion risks, recommending safety measures for fire prevention, fire fighting, rescue, as well as skills for handling situations and escaping when a fire or accident occurs.
In particular, it is necessary to develop plans and fully equip fire prevention and fighting equipment, ensuring the ability to respond promptly in case of fire and explosion, and at the same time develop rescue plans at museums, exhibition houses, traditional houses and historical and cultural relics, especially relics with outstanding values and potential for tourism development.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Giang province requires units to coordinate in guiding and directing the Management Board of Monuments and Sites to strictly implement regulations on fire prevention, fire fighting and rescue, and to fully equip necessary fire prevention and fire fighting equipment. These equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure effective operation in all fire and explosion situations.
In addition, it is necessary to promote propaganda work, raise awareness and compliance with regulations on fire prevention and fighting for officers, employees working at relics and tourists.
In particular, propaganda content will be broadcast through loudspeaker systems at historical and cultural relics and festival venues, aiming to widely disseminate knowledge to the community.
Facilities need to prepare escape conditions in case of fire, regularly check electrical systems, power consuming equipment, lighting, electrical wires, strictly manage fire sources, heat sources, fire and heat generating equipment and tools.
Organize training courses for monks, nuns and security forces on the skills of using fire extinguishers and how to escape when necessary. When burning incense in worship ceremonies, there must be someone to carefully supervise; burning votive papers must be done in safe locations, away from flammable objects.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also proposed to resolutely and strictly handle all responsible groups and individuals if fires or explosions occur at museums, exhibition houses, traditional houses, and historical and cultural relics, in accordance with the provisions of law.
Previously, on February 10, the People's Committee of Bac Giang province issued an Official Dispatch on strengthening fire prevention, fighting, and rescue work for religious, belief and worship facilities, after a serious fire at the national relic Lang Ve Pagoda (Tho Xuong ward).
