Vietnamese market in Berlin catches fire

Fire fighters spray water in front of smoke at a burning storage hall of the Dong Xuan Center in Berlin, Germany at midday on May 11 (Source: AP)

Berlin (VNA) - A fire has broken out at Dong Xuan Centre, a major trade centre of overseas Vietnamese in Berlin, Germany, at midday on May 11.

Witnesses said large columns of smoke were seen as far as several kilometers from the centre.

No fatalities were reported in the inferno, which was said to start at a store owned by a Turkish in the centre, and the cause remains unclear.

The city’s rescue force, fire department, specialised vehicles and helicopters have been sent to surmount the incident. However, flammable goods, big winds and hard-to-enter design of the warehouse have caused difficulties in stamping out the fire.

Other buildings and warehouses in the centre are still opening.

Ambassador Doan Xuan Hung and officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany visited the site and offered sympathy to traders who were affected by the fire.

Covering an area of more than 40,000 sqm with four commercial blocs, the Dong Xuan centre is home to more than 4,000 Vietnamese nationals and it has become a popular place for the Vietnamese community in Germany.

The market stocks goods including textiles, electronics and groceries.-VNA