A devastating fire broke out early on the morning of October 11 at a four-story house with an attic, located deep within alley 180, Kim Hoa Street in Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam ward, Hanoi. The blaze claimed the lives of five family members, including a child.

According to initial reports, the fire began around 5 a.m., when local residents noticed thick smoke and flames pouring from the small, narrow-fronted house.

Despite efforts by neighbors to raise the alarm and use on-site extinguishers, the fire escalated too quickly to be brought under control.

Emergency services were immediately alerted. The Hanoi Police Department dispatched over 30 officers and four fire trucks from multiple firefighting and rescue units to the site.

The house, with a floor area of just 25 square meters, was located approximately 300 meters from the nearest main road, situated in a narrow, winding alleyway. These conditions severely hindered access for fire engines and responders.

By the time firefighters reached the scene, the fire had engulfed the entire structure, and the building was filled with dense, toxic smoke.

Officers had to use specialized breathing equipment to enter the building, searching for anyone trapped inside while simultaneously launching multi-directional attacks to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to neighboring homes.

The fire was successfully contained by 6 a.m. and completely extinguished by 6:15 a.m.

Upon completing the search, emergency teams found five deceased victims inside the home.

Hanoi Police later confirmed the victims’ identities as N.D.L. (born 1952), H.T.H. (born 1956), N.H.M. (born 1982), D.T.S. (born 1988), and N.M.V. (born 2019), all members of the same family.

Inside the house, the first floor was charred and filled with deformed furniture. Walls and ceilings were scorched and peeled from the heat, further complicating the forensic work still underway as of 10 a.m. that day.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire in accordance with legal protocols.

City leadership responds on-site

Shortly after news of the fire broke, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh arrived at the site to oversee emergency response and offer condolences to the victims’ families.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Tuan Anh, Director of the Fire and Rescue Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, also visited the scene, accompanied by senior Hanoi Police officials including Major General Nguyen Hong Ky and Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Quyen.

Their presence underscored the severity of the incident and the urgent need for coordinated recovery and investigation efforts.

Speaking at the scene, Chairman Tran Sy Thanh called for immediate attention to Hanoi’s dense and often hazardous alley networks.

He directed relevant agencies to support affected families and to accelerate the investigation into the fire’s cause for appropriate legal resolution.

The Chairman emphasized the need to redesign cramped residential alleyways to ensure accessible escape routes and equip them with adequate firefighting tools and localized response teams, following the "four-on-the-spot" principle (on-site command, on-site forces, on-site vehicles, and on-site logistics).

He also stressed the importance of boosting public education on fire safety, particularly in high-risk, tightly packed urban zones.

The tragic blaze has once again raised alarm bells about fire prevention in Hanoi’s residential areas, where cramped conditions and limited access can quickly turn a fire emergency into a deadly disaster.

Dinh Hieu