Dozens killed, more 50 people hospitalized after massive fire breaks out in 10-storey Vietnam building

New Delhi: Dozens of people have been killed, over 50 people hospitalized after a huge fire at an apartment block in Vietnamese capital Hanoi, state media said Wednesday. A witnesses reporting screams from inside and a small child was thrown from the building.
Photos shared by local media photographers from the scene showed flames and smoke billowing from barred balconies. A eye witnesses said The fire started just before midnight on Tuesday (1700 GMT) in the parking floor of the 10-storey building, an area packed with residents’ motorbikes.
A official said in a statement, “Authorities have rescued about 70 people, rushing to hospital 54 people, including dozens of dead.” “This is a very serious fire,” he added.
On Wednesday morning, The blaze was out, although workers continued searching for survivors. The building’s small balconies were surrounded by iron, with the apartment block having only a single exit — and no emergency ladder on the outside.
Authorities said that around 150 people lived in the complex. A woman, who gave only one name Hoa and lives near the block, told local media,
“I heard a lot of shouts for help. We could not help them much.” “The apartment is so closed that there is no way to escape, it is impossible for the victims to get out.”
Huang, another witness, said a small child was thrown from a high floor to escape the flames. She said,”I was about to sleep when I smelled something bad. I went outside and saw the fire.” She added, “The smoke was everywhere. There was a little boy thrown from a high floor, I don’t know whether he survived or not although people used a mattress to catch him,”
Wednesday morning, The deputy prime minister, Tran Luu Quang, visited the scene, state media said. Vietnam has experienced several deadly fires in recent years, frequently at entertainment venues like popular karaoke bars.