Around 2 PM, workers inside the workshop discovered smoke emanating from the storage area. They frantically called out to move valuable assets and fled outside. Some used mini fire extinguishers to try and put out the fire, but the presence of numerous home appliances and electronic components made on-site firefighting efforts unsuccessful.

Dense black smoke billowed from the appliance warehouse. *Photo: Minh Bang*

Within minutes, the blaze spread rapidly, with a column of smoke rising tens of meters high, enveloping the entire residential area. "Residents nearby also tried to assist, but the large fire made it difficult to access and ineffective", said Ms. Phuong, who lives near the incident.

Upon receiving the report, the Ho Chi Minh City Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police dispatched numerous fire trucks and dozens of officers to the scene. Police deployed multiple high-pressure water jets to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to surrounding residential areas.

After more than 30 minutes of firefighting, the blaze was largely brought under control. The fire caused no casualties; however, some areas of the workshop collapsed, and much property inside was destroyed.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are currently being investigated by authorities.

Dinh Van