It is noted that in the central wards of Ho Chi Minh City, it is not difficult to see old apartment buildings built decades ago, most of which have been expanded with solid iron frames or also known as "tiger cages". This poses many potential dangers, especially when a fire occurs, there will be no way out.
Recorded in Thanh Da residential area built before 1975. The residential lots are only built with 4 - 5 floors high, but the electrical system and fire fighting system are all degraded, causing many people to worry about fire prevention and fighting safety (PCCC).
Ms. Le Thi Dieu (resident of Thanh Da apartment building) said that most of the people living here make iron frames for the balcony to prevent theft. "Some people have firmly welded iron frames. As for my family, I only use a wrench, when there is an incident, I have the opportunity to disassemble to escape," said Ms. Dieu.
Similarly, Ngo Gia Tu apartment complex in Vuon Lai ward was built in 1968 with 16 lots, each lot has a ground floor and three floors. Many items of the apartment building have seriously degraded, but the relocation, compensation and resettlement support are still prolonged until now, because many households have not agreed on the compensation and support level.
reality also shows that some other old apartments in Ho Chi Minh City only have one entrance and exit. However, the chaotic situation of parking vehicles and household items makes this path almost blocked if a fire occurs.
Ms. Trinh Thi Phuong Trang, a resident of the old apartment building at 137 Ly Thuong Kiet (Tan Son Nhat ward, Ho Chi Minh City), shared: "The only emergency exit to my area is right next to the stairs, but many households bring their belongings out to put in, even build a warehouse to store goods, making it extremely difficult to move. If there is a fire, we don't know which way to run".
According to Ms. Trang, the apartment building currently has about 30 households living there, the rest is vacant because it is too degraded to live in. "My family is a poor household, with 4 members, my mother is over 80 years old and lives in one place, my husband is unemployed, I work as a sales agency. If we cannot relocate, I hope the government will take temporary corrective measures so that people can continue to live safely," Ms. Trang added.
The deterioration of many old apartment buildings in Ho Chi Minh City does not stop at infrastructure but also poses a potential risk of fire safety. "Tigger cages" cover the balcony, power lines are tangled, the only path is encroached... are factors that always make danger lurk.
The most heartbreaking evidence is the fire that occurred on the night of July 6 at Doc Lap residence (Phu Tho Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City), killing 8 people. The fire broke out fiercely from the ground floor, quickly engulfing the entire entrance - which was the only exit of this apartment in the boarding house.
According to the victim's relatives, when they received a distress call, they immediately arrived but could not approach because the fire had blocked all entrances. The multi-layered iron door system and furniture piled up in the hallway made the victim even more trapped and unable to escape.
The incident not only shocked public opinion but also rang out a warning bell about the unsafe situation of fire prevention and fighting in old apartment buildings. Places that were once once a place to live have now easily become a "death trap" when an incident occurs.
