At around 3am on March 11, people in Nam Tu Liem and Ha Dong districts (Hanoi) heard many loud explosions coming from a fire near Thang Long Avenue.
Mr. Duc (33 years old), a resident of an apartment building in Ha Dong district, said that when he looked towards the Me Tri overpass, he saw a column of black smoke rising tens of meters high. "I was nearly 4km from the scene but still heard the loud explosion," he recounted.
Another witness said that he woke up to a loud explosion. When he opened the window to check, he saw black smoke rolling up from the Me Tri Thuong area, accompanied by many consecutive explosions and strong fires.
According to information from the authorities, the fire occurred at a scrap yard near Thang Long Avenue. The cause of the loud explosions was determined to be pressure vessels in the blasting area.
Speaking to Lao Dong, a representative of Me Tri Thuong Ward Police said that immediately after receiving the report, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, Hanoi City Police, mobilized forces and specialized vehicles to the scene to put out the fire. The unit representative said that the fire was controlled and not allowed to spread, and there were no human casualties in the incident.
The cause of the fire is currently being investigated and clarified.
