At the inspection (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – An inspection team of officials from theconstruction and public security ministries, and the HCM City People’sCommittee on May 7 examined fire safety measures in apartment and high-risebuildings in the city.
Major General Doan VietManh, head of the Ministry of Public Security’s Fire and Rescue PoliceDepartment, led the team to conduct unscheduled inspections on facilities witha high risk of fire.
The facilities wereinformed about the visits only 30 minutes before the teams arrived.
At the Giai VietApartment Building on Ta Quang Buu street in District 8, the team discoveredinfrastructure limitations affecting firefighting.
They said the apartmentbuilding had no management board and lacked records on firefighting equipment.
Thefire alarm system (water sprinklers) did not meetrequirements to prevent fire from spreading, and many objectsobstructed the way out of the building’s basement.
Major Tran Hai Namfrom the Fire and Rescue Police Department said that fire alarmsand automatic water sprinklers in the building were not setproperly and some firefighting equipment was not in good condition.
Some residentialapartments were converted to business purposes and contain goods, while othershad doors opening towards the corridor which can hinder people from escaping,he said.
Manh asked the buildingowner to set up an apartment management board, begin training courses forfirefighters, improve management and supervision of the basement, and quicklyhandle the changed purposes of some apartments, and fix damaged equipment andsigns.
The team will continueto conduct unscheduled inspections on buildings in the city. The overallresults are scheduled to be released on May 8.
HCM City isone of seven localities in the country holding unscheduledinspections of fire-safety regulations in buildings.
The inspections have been carried out in the wakeof a serious of fires occurring at apartment buildings recently in HCM City andother cities.
As many as 13 people died and tens of others wereinjured when a blaze started from the parking basement between Buildings A andB of Carina Plaza at No. 1648 Vo Van Kiet street in HCM City's District 8 onMarch 23. Hundreds of people were stuck and rushed to upper storeys.
Carina Plaza is a high-end apartment complexincluding three buildings with 15-21 storeys and 736 apartments. It was putinto use six years ago.-VNA
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