Hanoi calls for outdated building evaluations following villa collaps hinh anh 1Search and rescue workers (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi should develop a specific plan to accelerate upgrades and repairs to local outdated buildings , especially ancient villas and structures, following the recent collapse of an ancient French villa in downtown Hanoi that left two dead and six injured, an expert said.

During an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents, architect Ngo Doan Duc from the Vietnam Association of Architects suggested communication campaigns should be enhanced to raise local awareness of the need for upgrades.

The monitoring and management of local ancient French villas, the majority of which are located in Ba Dinh and Hai Ba Trung districts, should be strengthened to ensure resident safety while preserving the values of the heritages, according to Duc.

Not only outdated buildings, many residential areas in the Old Quarter should be crutinised for upgrading, he added.

According to statistics, Hanoi has 1,586 ancient French villas, including 562 private-owned and 1,024 State-owned properties.

The September 22 collapsed two-storey villa, located at No. 107 Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem district, is currently managed by the Zone 1 Railway Project Management Board.-VNA
VNA