Ho Chi Minh City Fire Survivor Recounts Unbearable Loss in Seven-Casualty Tragedy

A devastating house fire in Ho Chi Minh City's Cho Lon Ward on September 17 resulted in two fatalities and five injuries, prompting an immediate investigation into the cause by local police and specialized units. The fire occurred in a multi-story tube house, commonly used for both residential and commercial purposes. One of the survivors, 66-year-old Nguyen Thi T., is currently receiving treatment for burns at Trung Vuong Hospital. She recounted the harrowing moments of the blaze, which she believes originated from an electric bicycle charging on the ground floor around 1:20 a.m. At the time, she was sleeping with her 95-year-old mother on the ground floor, which also served as a parking area for motorbikes and bicycles. The upper levels were used as communal living quarters. Upon waking to a violent blast, T. rushed to the front glass door, only to find the exterior iron gate locked from the outside. As she turned back for the keys, fierce flames engulfed the living area. She expressed immense pain not from her burns, but from the loss of her mother and 35-year-old daughter-in-law, who did not survive. Neighbors managed to pry open the gate just enough to pull T. out through a narrow gap. Four other family members escaped by jumping onto adjacent houses. Emergency responders evacuated the injured to hospitals. T. sustained the least severe wounds, while the other four are in critical condition at Cho Ray Hospital. Neighbors described waking to dense, choking black smoke and the arrival of fire engines. The power grid reportedly cut out as the fire took hold, plunging the alley into darkness. Authorities confirmed the fire broke out at approximately 1:23 a.m. inside the tube house, which had a ground floor, mezzanine, two upper stories, and a corrugated iron roof. The ground floor's clutter of vehicles and belongings obstructed escape routes. The narrow alley also hampered access for large firefighting apparatus. Officials noted that the late-night timing, while residents were asleep, delayed detection and reporting. The significant volume of toxic smoke severely reduced visibility, complicating rescue and suppression efforts. Firefighters battled the blaze, breaking through brick walls to ventilate smoke and direct hoses. The fire was brought under control shortly after, but the structure suffered extensive damage, with furniture and belongings destroyed across approximately 150 square meters. The incident highlights critical safety concerns regarding fire prevention in urban tube houses, particularly those with mixed-use ground floors and limited escape routes.