The aftermath of a house fire in Khanh Hoa Province, Nov. 28, 2024. Photo by Read/Bui Toan
Two grandparents and their two grandchildren were killed when a funeral service facility in central Khanh Hoa Province went up in flames on Thursday.
The fire began on the first floor of a three-floor building on Phuong Sai Street at around 10 a.m. The house contains several caskets, joss paper and other funeral-related tools and equipment. The flames and smoke spread to other floors within minutes.
At the time of the fire, there were three adults and two children inside the house.
The fire happened near a market area, with several people passing by. Locals and firefighters helped to douse out the flames. People in nearby houses also evacuated their belongings outside, preventing the flames from getting to them.
Four firefighting trucks and dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Some tried to hose down the flames, while others tried to gain access into the house to look for survivors.
The flames were put under control by around 10:30 a.m. The entire house was blazed, with the first floor and the attic receiving the most damage. Several belongings were incinerated, and the walls were charred in black.
Nguyen Quoc Chung, who lives near the site of the fire, said the family who lives in the house has six people, including two grandparents, two parents and two small children. When the fire happened, the father was out for work. The grandparents and the mother tried to extinguish the flames themselves but failed.
Ho Chi Thanh, vice head of the Khanh Hoa firefighting police department, said flames had already engulfed the house when firefighters got there. Rescuers had to destroy part of the house to bring firefighters in.
An investigation is ongoing to figure out the cause of the fire.
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