According to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, in My Tho City (Tien Giang Province), there are many narrow alleys under 1.5m, just enough for a motorbike to move. If a fire broke out, fire trucks would have difficulty approaching the scene.
Living in small alleys, people cannot help but worry when thinking about emergency situations.
Mr. Hong Huu Phu (60 years old, living in Ward 4, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province) shared: "My house is in a deep alley, only motorbikes can enter. Every time they heard about a fire somewhere, the whole neighborhood discussed and worried. The road to the house is narrow, only about 1m, if there is a big fire, who knows?".
Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung (residing in Ward 4, My Tho City) shared: "The house in the middle of the alley is just enough for a motorbike to pass, so I am always in a state of anxiety. Especially at night, I was afraid that if something happened, no one would be able to save me.
According to Mr. Hung, in addition to the difficulty of fire trucks accessing, the escape of people in the small alley is also very difficult. The road is narrow, many houses are built adjacent, there is no escape route, if they do not have time to run out, the risk of being stuck is very high.
I have lived here for more than 50 years. The house is small, the alley is small, but because it is not qualified to move to another place, it has to be accepted. Every time I see news about a fire, I feel uneasy, just afraid that if something unfortunate happened to me, I won't know where to run," said Mr. Hung.
Mr. Thai Van Thanh (residing in Ward 6, My Tho City) said that the fire that killed 4 people in My Tho City (Tien Giang Province) that occurred in the early morning of April 10 once again rang the warning bell about the risk of fire and explosion in residential areas with small alleys and narrow paths.
Mr. Thanh hopes that after the above incident, the local government needs to soon review and assess the risks of alleys in the area. Prioritize upgrading and expanding small alleys under 2m to prevent risks in case of fire.
To limit narrow alleys, it is necessary to stipulate that when dividing a plot of land for residential land, it must ensure a path over 3m wide and connected to a public transport road. Thus, fire trucks can be used to carry out fire fighting work, Mr. Thanh proposed.
According to Mr. Thanh, renovating small alleys is not actually easy. It is related to land ownership rights, compensation costs, site clearance and people's consensus. However, it is impossible to ignore it because it is difficult, because the price to pay when a fire occurs is much higher.
Regarding the above issue, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper over the phone, a leader of My Tho City People's Committee said that the city has reviewed and compiled statistics on small alleys in the area. In the immediate future, the People's Committee of My Tho City has directed communes and wards to strengthen propaganda work to people about fire prevention and fighting.
"In the coming time, in the process of urban development and renovation, the city will prioritize investment in upgrading and expanding small and narrow alleys in the area to ensure fire trucks can enter," informed the leader of My Tho City People's Committee.
Previously, in the early morning of April 10, a house fireed by Ms. H.T.T.T at 209/3 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street (My Tho City, Tien Giang Province) killed 4 people. Because the burned house was located in a narrow alley of only about 1m, connecting Yersin Street with Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, the fire fighting force had many difficulties in approaching the scene. This house also has no escape route behind.
