Ho Chi Minh City: More than 3,000 people practice firefighting at Vinhomes Grand Park

Authorities guide people to escape during the drill. Photo: Nghiem Y

The exercise mobilized 3,197 participants and 99 motor vehicles, including: fire trucks, ladder trucks, ambulances, specialized vehicles and support equipment such as smoke generators, sound, filming equipment, first aid and traffic control.

According to the hypothetical situation, at 9:15 a.m., a fire and explosion occurred in basement B1 with an area of over 10,000 square meters, belonging to the common base of 5 buildings GH1, GH2, GH3, GH5 and GH6 in Glory Heights. A motorbike leaked gasoline and had an electrical short circuit, causing a large fire. Smoke and toxic gas quickly spread through the technical pipes and stairs to the upper floors.

At the same time, at apartment GH6-123 on the 7th floor, the homeowner panicked while cooking and ran away without turning off the gas stove, causing the fire to flare up and spread to the kitchen area. The fire escape system was limited due to thick smoke, trapping about 15 people on the 7th floor, 10 people on the 8th floor and higher floors, while more than 10,000 other people were living and working in the area. While residents were moving their vehicles out of the fire area, a collision between two cars occurred on Rodeo Avenue in front of Vincom Mega Mall Grand Park, injuring 4 people and trapping them inside the car.

Drill of forces transporting injured people on specialized rescue stretchers from high floors to the ground. Photo: Nghiem Y

Receiving the fire alarm, the on-site fire fighting force coordinated with the ward police to evacuate thousands of people from the fire, many people suffering from smoke inhalation were taken to the hospital. Fire trucks, ladder trucks, fire fighting robots, rescue dogs searched for trapped people... After more than 30 minutes, the fire was completely extinguished.

Speaking at the drill, Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Police, emphasized that fire prevention, fire fighting, and rescue work in large urban areas, especially high-rise and super high-rise buildings such as Vinhomes Grand Park, is always a huge challenge. In recent years, in Ho Chi Minh City, there have been many fires in apartment buildings, hotels, and high-rise buildings, causing heavy damage to people and property. Without adequate preparation in terms of plans, forces, and rescue skills, even a small mistake can lead to extremely serious consequences.

After 30 minutes, the authorities extinguished the fire. Photo: Nghiem Y

Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong said that this exercise is of key significance in comprehensively assessing the capacity of on-site forces, including urban management boards, fire prevention and fighting teams, security forces and civil defense forces; at the same time, assessing the coordination ability of professional forces such as fire prevention, fighting and rescue police, local police, medical staff, traffic police and related technical units.

In the context of high population density in buildings GH1-GH6, complex technical space, dense electrical, gas and ventilation systems, the requirements for fire prevention and fighting are early detection, quick mobilization, effective coordination, and decisive handling, in accordance with the motto "four on-site": On-site command, on-site forces, on-site means, and on-site logistics.

City Police leaders congratulated the units that successfully coordinated the exercise. Photo: Nghiem Y

“Through the drill, units need to review the entire plan, fully evaluate the water supply pipeline system, ladder truck access, stairwell, fire doors, the operational capacity of the automatic fire alarm system and smoke extraction and pressurization equipment,” Major General Nguyen Thanh Huong emphasized.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-hon-3-000-nguoi-dien-tap-chua-chay-tai-vinhomes-grand-park-723252.html