 Local firefighters dealing with the fire | |
 | |
| Native name | Vụ cháy Trung tâm Thương mại Quốc tế 2002 |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 October 2002 |
| Time | c. 13:30 (UTC+07:00) |
| Venue | International Trade Center |
| Location | 101 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa st., Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Coordinates | 10°46′26″N 106°41′59″E / 10.77389°N 106.69972°E |
| Type | Conflagration |
| Cause | Weld spatter |
| Deaths | 60 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 90 |
| History of Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|
 |
| Metro • Names (district names) • Organised crime |
 Vietnam portal |
On 29 October 2002, a fire occurred in the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The six-story building was occupied by a department store, a disco and offices of several foreign companies.[1] The fire killed 60 people and injured 90 others, making it one of the deadliest peacetime disasters in Vietnam.[2]
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Building
The building had been insured since 1997, the Reuters news agency reported, for a total value of 12.3 billion Vietnamese đồng (about 800,000 USD) at the time of the fire.[full citation needed]
Inferno
The fire occurred on Tuesday, 29 October 2002, beginning at 1:15 p.m. local time (0615 GMT).[citation needed] Thirty fire engines and 40 ambulances surrounded the building.[citation needed] Intense heat and flames prevented firefighters from entering the building for about four hours.[citation needed] It took firefighters more than five hours to extinguish the inferno.[citation needed] Bodies were still being recovered from the site late that day.[citation needed]
According to officials in the Vietnam People's Army, firefighters were not adequately equipped to fight the fire and lacked water to put out the flames.[citation needed] Power in the area was cut off and streets were cordoned off.[citation needed] Flames raged at the windows, sending dense black smoke into the sky as workers fled for their lives, many down steel ladders reaching up from fire trucks below.[citation needed] Others jumped out of the windows.[1]
The next day, police barricaded the building, to keeping onlookers at bay.[citation needed] At least five fire fighting vehicles were at the site on Wednesday, although none were in use.[citation needed]
The fire killed 60 people and injured 90 more.[citation needed]
Two welders were later arrested for causing the fire. They had been working at the disco on the second floor, and it was suspected that sparks from their equipment may have started the blaze.[3] Along with their supervisor and their employer, they were charged with "violating regulations of fire prevention and combating". They were found guilty, and the court imposed sentences of 2 to 7 years in prison.[4][dead link][citation needed]
International reaction
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji: "I am shocked to learn of the big fire that occurred in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam ... On behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in my own name, I extend my deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to you, and through you, to the bereft families."[5]
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana: "Europe is shocked to hear about the inferno and whole Europe extends its deepest sympathies to the families of those, who lost their lives."[citation needed]
Pope John Paul II sent a message expressing condolences to the families of victims of the fire in Ho Chi Minh City.[6]
U.S. President George W. Bush: "I am shocked to learn of the big fire that took the lives of so many innocent people in Ho Chi Minh City. Let us express our sympathy to the families of the victims."[citation needed]
Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid: "We offer our heartfelt sympathies to those who suffered due to the inferno."[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Dozens killed in Vietnam blaze". BBC News. 29 October 2002. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Fifteen years on from the horrors of catastrophic blaze that rocked Saigon". VnExpress International. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Welders arrested over Vietnam fire". BBC News. 1 November 2002. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Culprits of ITC inferno receive 2 to 7-year prison sentences". Viet Nam News. 14 June 2004.
- ^ "Chinese Leader Expresses Sympathy over Ho Chi Minh City Fire", People's Daily (English version), November 2, 2002, Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "Papal condolences to families of Vietnam inferno victims Archived 2006-02-26 at the Wayback Machine", Catholic News (Sourced from UCA News), 5 November 2002. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
External links
- Culprits of ITC inferno receive 2 to 7-year prison sentences vietnamnews.vnanet.vn
- High hopes for ITC site. (News).(Ho Chi Minh Citys ill-fated International Trade Centre, ravaged by an inferno last October) goliath.ecnext.com
- In pictures: Ho Chi Minh's inferno news.bbc.co.uk
- Chinese Leader Expresses Sympathy over Ho Chi Minh City Fire english.peopledaily.com.cn
- Fire in Ho Chi Minh City Put Out english.people.com.cn
- Dozens feared dead in Saigon fire www.theage.com.au
- Papal condolences to families of Vietnam inferno victims www.cathnews.com
- Dozens killed in Vietnam office inferno archives.cnn.com
- Memorial for Vietnam fire victim news.bbc.co.uk
This page was last edited on 29 January 2024, at 22:02