'Seeing it but being unable to save it'

At noon on October 11th, authorities were still sealing off the scene of the house fire that killed two children in alley number 236, Tran Cao Van Street (Tam Thuan Ward, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang City) to investigate the cause.

In the small alley at 236 Tran Cao Van (Thanh Khe, Da Nang) leading to the house, many neighbors are still reeling from the heartbreaking incident.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh (59 years old, residing in alley 236 Tran Cao Van) recounted that at around 1:30 AM on October 11th, he was sleeping on the third floor when he heard a loud explosion near his house, which startled him awake.

Running out to check, he discovered that his neighbor's house, about 30 meters away, was on fire, so he shouted for help from his neighbors.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh recounted the events.

“ When I ran over, I saw the house engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing from the third floor. The police were already there. However, the house was locked, so no one could open it. Neighbors tried to break the lock with sledgehammers, but to no avail. The fire was very intense, accompanied by many explosions. The whole neighborhood came to help, but they were powerless to get close, ” Mr. Ánh recalled.

According to Mr. Anh, the police and local residents then had to use crowbars and hammers to break down the gate to gain access and then break down the main door of the house to rescue the people inside. When the rescue team finally broke down the door, three people escaped from the first floor of the house.

In the midst of the chaos, those living next to the burning house frantically urged each other to flee for fear the fire would spread to their own homes.

“ At that time, two children were still trapped on the third floor. The Fire and Rescue Police used ladders to reach them, but the fire was raging fiercely, and the toxic smoke was thick. By the time the police reached the third floor, the two children had already passed away ,” Mr. Anh said sadly.

According to Mr. Ánh, the homeowners had only bought the house about a year ago. The two children who died were their children and grandchildren.

Police officers are examining the crime scene.

Still reeling from the shock, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cu (65 years old, residing at alley 236 Tran Cao Van) said that at around 1:30 AM, he was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, when he suddenly heard a loud explosion, accompanied by a strong burning smell. Opening the door and rushing outside, he saw the entire alley shrouded in thick black smoke.

Regaining his composure, he determined that a raging fire was engulfing house number 31D. Flames and smoke were billowing out through the front door and windows. Seeing people trapped inside, residents shouted for help and tried to break the locks. However, at that moment, electrical wires were burning and had fallen onto the street, preventing many from reaching the building.

“ About 5 minutes after we reported it, the firefighters arrived. No one in this alley has ever seen a fire this big before. It’s heartbreaking! ” Mr. Cu shared.

As reported by VTC News, at 1:30 AM on October 11th, residents panicked upon discovering that the house at K236/31D Tran Cao Van Street, Da Nang City, was engulfed in flames. They shouted for help to extinguish the fire and simultaneously contacted the authorities for assistance.

Upon receiving the report, the Tam Thuan Ward Police and the Thanh Khe District Police's fire and rescue forces promptly dispatched fire trucks and officers to the scene to extinguish the fire and rescue people.

The house is located in an alley more than 150 meters deep, making it inaccessible to fire trucks.

Authorities worked to extinguish the fire and rescued three people: Le Tran Tuan Duc, Le Thi Kim Nga, and Tran Le Gia Kim.

However, two children, Tran Minh Gia Dat (2009) and Nguyen Le Thai Thuan (2011), were trapped on the 3rd floor, suffocated by smoke, and died.

By 3:00 AM the same day, firefighters had completely extinguished the fire, and the police are currently examining the scene and investigating the cause.

CHAU THU

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