A firefighting exercise in Hanoi (Phoro: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Fire prevention police across Vietnam haveissued warnings on the use of fire, electricity and petrol during the Tet(Lunar New Year) holiday.
Hanoi People’s Committee has asked the city’s fire prevention police toheighten fire prevention plans and monitor locations at high fire risk.
About 4,000 fire accidents occurred in Vietnam last year, killing 96,injuring 203 and incurring losses of 2 billion VND (88,000 USD), the Nhan Dan(People) online newspaper reported. In Hanoi alone, 20 people died in 820 fireaccidents and explosions. Half of the incidents occurred at home. Most of thevictims died from inhaling toxic fumes.
High demand for new electric equipment and home power lines at this timeof the year is one of the factors leading to fires in the city, said Nguyen DangThien, deputy head of the Safety Management Department of Electricity Vietnam(EVN) in Hanoi.
The cold weather in the northern area has led to people lighting fireswith scrap wood in the streets throughout the city, many of them near powerpoles and wiring, Thien added.
“If these wires catch fire, the consequences will be unbearable,” hesaid.
Determined to reduce the number of fire accidents in the city, the HCMCity People’s Committee has told fire prevention police to shake-up theirapproach.
Nguyen Thanh Huong, deputy director of the HCM City Department ofFirefighting Police, said that he aimed to reduce major fire accidents andthose caused by power malfunctions by 10 percent.
Fire prevention police in other localities, including the provinces ofKon Tum, Bac Ninh, Gia Lai and Phu Tho, said they had inspected big markets athigh risk.
At this time of the year, the amount of goods has doubled, even tripledto serve demand. Most are made from flammable material, including incense,candles, and votive offerings such as clothes and banknotes made from paper.
The power systems at these markets are mostly degraded since they wereinstalled more than a decade ago, creating a risk of power failures andelectrical explosions.
But more often than not, kiosk owners have a tendency to place theirgoods outside their kiosks to expand their space, sometimes blocking the way tofiremen and their equipment.
Tran Huu Doan, vice head of the management team of Viet Tri Market (PhuTho province), said the team had frequently reminded kiosk owners to removeobstructing goods and to buy fire extinguishers.
“We have also added some fire extinguishers and water pipelines to themarket,” he said.
Tran Van Tu, head of the Pleiku Trade Centre’s management board, said hehad warned traders not to stock firecrackers, alcohol and petrol, and not toburn incense inside the centre.
“We have also hung banners and signs asking customers not to smoke insidethe centre,” he said. – VNA
