The risk of fire is high in the mini-apartment building.

On the afternoon of September 13th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the scene and went to Bach Mai Hospital to see the victims of the extremely serious apartment fire in Thanh Xuan District ( Hanoi ). On the same day, the Prime Minister signed a directive requesting measures to address the fire at the mini-apartment building at alley 29/70, Khuong Ha Street (Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi).

Mini apartment building in Bui Xuong Trach (Hanoi)

In the official dispatch, on behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister extended his deepest condolences to the relatives and families of the victims. The Prime Minister requested the Hanoi People's Committee to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to direct relevant forces to focus on addressing the consequences, promptly investigate the cause of the fire, clarify the responsibilities of organizations and individuals involved, and strictly handle any violations (if any) in accordance with the law.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Public Security and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to continue to seriously and decisively implement the directives of the National Assembly , the Government, and the Prime Minister on fire prevention and control. Immediately afterwards, the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee assigned the Hanoi Police to investigate, and also instructed the Thanh Xuan District People's Committee to coordinate with the police force to clarify the cause of the fire, review the responsibilities of the organizations and individuals involved; and report to the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee in September.

Specifically, the Hanoi People's Committee leadership has instructed the Chairmen of the People's Committees of districts, counties, and towns to conduct a comprehensive inspection and review of 100% of multi-apartment buildings and rental properties within their jurisdiction, especially mini-apartment buildings.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects the scene of the fire at a mini-apartment building on Khuong Ha Street.

Obsess

By last night (September 13), the Hanoi City Police announced that the horrific fire that occurred on the evening of September 12 at a mini-apartment building located at 37 Alley 29/70 Khuong Ha (Khuong Dinh Ward, Thanh Xuan District) had resulted in 56 deaths and 37 injuries.

This apartment building is located deep within a narrow alley, about 400 meters from Khuong Ha Street. In the event of a fire, specialized fire trucks could only reach the end of alley 29 Khuong Ha and then use water hoses from a distance of over 100 meters to access the scene. The building is designed in a tube-like style, with 9 floors and 45 apartments, and only one exit at the main door. The first floor is used for parking, while the remaining floors are rental apartments. The building's balconies have stainless steel bars and exit windows, but no stairs leading down.

When the fire broke out, many people were unable to escape, and despite the best efforts of the rescue forces, the tragedy could not be avoided.

Scene of the fire at the 9-story mini-apartment building in alley 29/70 Khuong Ha.

Fear of fire

According to Thanh Nien newspaper's investigation, there are currently many other mini-apartment buildings in Thanh Xuan District. In alley 20/70/19 on Khuong Ha Street, there are two six-story apartment buildings with similar designs. If an incident occurs on the first floor, the only escape route will be blocked. Instead, residents can only run to the rooftop to wait for rescue.

The fire and explosion situation is very complex.

On the morning of September 13, at the 26th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Head of the National Assembly's Delegation Affairs Committee, Nguyen Thi Thanh, addressed the situation of the continuous and serious fires that have occurred recently and stated that "the fire and explosion situation nationwide is developing very complicatedly."

Ms. Thanh cited figures from a government report, stating that in the first eight months of 2023, there were 2,031 fires, a 38% increase, resulting in 83 deaths, a 48% increase compared to the same period the previous year. "At times, multiple fires occurred consecutively, killing 3-4 members of the same family," Ms. Thanh said.

Ms. Thanh also cited a government report stating that more than 38,000 establishments nationwide that are already in operation still have violations regarding fire safety and are unlikely to be rectified according to fire safety technical standards.

Reporting at the meeting on the figure of 38,000 establishments still having fire safety violations that are unlikely to be rectified, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Van Tuyen stated that the reason is that the Ministry of Construction recently issued new, stricter fire safety standards. Meanwhile, the aforementioned establishments were built according to the old standards, making it very difficult to rectify the situation.

Le Hiep

Capitalizing on the demand for rental apartments from students and low-income workers, numerous mini-apartment buildings and six-story townhouses have sprung up around universities and in downtown Hanoi. To maximize profits, many developers choose to build these mini-apartments and townhouses in narrow alleys inaccessible to cars. Simultaneously, balconies are designed to be recessed into the interior to maximize apartment space. Because they are built in alleys and adjacent to many high-rise buildings, windows, vents, and balconies are often reinforced with steel frames to ensure security. This inadvertently creates difficulties for residents in case of emergencies.

For example, in the alleys of Dong Me Street and Me Tri Thuong Road (Me Tri Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi), due to their proximity to many universities and bus stations, these areas have gradually become the "hub" of mini-apartments and narrow houses. Walking along these alleys, it's not difficult to find signs advertising apartments for rent in mini-apartment buildings with areas ranging from 20 to 35 m².

Many mini-apartment buildings are located deep within alleyways in Hanoi.

Unforeseen consequences

Regarding the recent tragic fire, according to lawyer Tran Tuan Anh, Director of Minh Bach Law Firm, after initiating legal proceedings, the police need to clarify the responsibilities of all relevant parties, including the investor, local authorities, urban planning officials, and fire safety officers in charge of the area. Furthermore, a thorough review of the entire construction process is necessary, from land ownership to construction, commissioning, and fire safety inspections.

Specifically, it is necessary to clarify why a structure that concentrates such a large number of people in a small area, located in such a narrow alley, was built and put into operation. Furthermore, the responsibility of the authorities in these cases needs to be clarified: if there was no construction permit, why was an unsafe structure allowed to be built? And if there was a construction permit, was the construction carried out correctly?

Clarify the responsibilities of the organizations and individuals involved.

Following the incident, the Hanoi City Police issued a decision to initiate a criminal case, indict and temporarily detain Mr. Nghiem Quang Minh (44 years old, residing in Yen Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi) for the crime of "violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting".

According to Thanh Nien newspaper's investigation, the People's Committee of Thanh Xuan District granted a construction permit to Mr. Nghiem Quang Minh in March 2015. Construction permit No. 89, dated March 11, 2021, was signed by the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Xuan District, Dang Hong Thai. The project is identified as a detached house, located at Group 3, Cluster 4 (No. 37, Alley 29/70, Khuong Ha Street). The construction area of ​​the first floor (including the mezzanine) is 167.4 m², with a construction density of 70%. The building has 6 floors, with a mezzanine and stairwell containing technical space; the total construction floor area is 1,165.9 m²; the total height of the building is 20.2 m (excluding the stairwell).

According to our observations, the building in question is one of the tallest structures in Alley 29, Khuong Ha Street, exceeding the permitted height by 3 floors. After being put into use, this building became a mini-apartment complex with 45 apartments, housing approximately 150 residents.

Mr. Dang Hong Thai, former Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Xuan District, confirmed that he issued two directives to penalize the homeowner for illegal construction. According to Mr. Thai, he issued a demolition order and assigned the Chairman of the People's Committee of Khuong Dinh Ward to implement it, but further action needs to be reviewed.

Mai Thu - Nguyen Truong

"Why were permits granted for such an unsafe construction project? Where is the local government's supervisory responsibility? Is there a laxity in management?", Mr. Tuan Anh said.

Meanwhile, architect and independent expert Pham Thanh Tung commented that the mini-apartment building fire revealed the weak urban licensing and management practices of the authorities. "There have been many warnings against developing mini-apartments and that this type of housing should be subject to control from design to appraisal, but there is still laxity in management," Mr. Tung stated.

Many mini-apartment buildings are located deep within alleyways in Hanoi.

Following the horrific consequences of the fire, Mr. Le Van Thinh, former Head of Construction Quality Management Department 1 (State Inspection Department for Construction Quality, Ministry of Construction), raised the issue of clarifying the licensing, construction, and management procedures for mini-apartment buildings. He also suggested clarifying how the fire department, local police, and relevant authorities managed, inspected, and controlled these buildings once they were put into operation. He questioned whether buildings that did not meet fire safety requirements were reported and prevented from being used.

"If not properly controlled, the consequences will be unpredictable," Mr. Thinh emphasized.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/phap-phong-hoa-hoan-o-chung-cu-mini-185230913224755314.htm