This issue was raised by Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Police at the regular socio-economic press conference on the afternoon of July 10.
According to Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong, most of the apartment buildings built and put into use over 20 years are facing many problems with structure, technical systems and especially fire prevention and fighting systems (PCCC) due to the impact of climate conditions, long-term use time and lack of renovation and maintenance.
"Some apartments are even degraded to the point of being unusable" - Mr. Huong emphasized.
One of the major difficulties in fire prevention and fighting management in old apartment buildings is the lack of maintenance funds and repair funds. In many places, management boards or investors do not have a fixed fund for renovation and upgrading.
The Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Police added that the situation of people arbitrarily expanding and illegally covering up is common in old apartment buildings. This not only increases the risk of fire but also hinders fire fighting and rescue when incidents occur.
"Although Ho Chi Minh City has issued many documents directing and implementing campaigns to handle violations, this situation has not been completely overcome" - Mr. Huong said.
cramped living conditions and insecurity are also factors that contribute to increased fires in residential areas.
The leader of Ho Chi Minh City Police said that since the beginning of the year, the city has coordinated with the police force and local authorities to organize 270 fire prevention and fighting training classes, with nearly 80,000 participants.
Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong emphasized that each individual and household needs to proactively improve knowledge and skills in fire prevention and fighting through participating in training sessions and exercises organized by the locality.
At the same time, people should equip themselves with basic fire fighting equipment, set up a clear escape route and pay special attention to flammable materials such as spider webs, accumulated dust, decorative paintings, etc.
"In particular, illegal expansion and coverage need to be stopped. This is the main reason for the obstruction of the escape route, increasing the risk of fire spreading in apartment buildings" - Mr. Huong said.
After the fire at Doc Lap apartment building (Phu Tho Hoa ward), Ho Chi Minh City Police coordinated with the government to strengthen propaganda work and organize drills in old apartment buildings to raise awareness and skills in handling situations for residents.
Since the beginning of the year, the authorities have conducted 1,488 inspections, made 1,408 records to handle administrative violations in the field of fire prevention and fighting, with a total fine of more than 500 million VND.
