On the morning of 20/12, a male driver was operating a 5-ton truck carrying electronic waste and laptop batteries on Vo Nguyen Giap street, heading from Sai Gon bridge towards Dong Nai. Upon reaching the Binh Thai intersection in Thu Duc City, the driver discovered smoke and fire erupting from the truck's cargo, accompanied by explosions.

The driver transports a truck carrying burning laptop batteries to the fire station. Photo: Minh Bang

Aware that the headquarters of the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Area 2 was located ahead at Thu Duc intersection, the driver drove an additional 3 km to seek help from the police. Videos recorded by residents show the truck speeding, running red lights, as flames blazed in the cargo area. The truck eventually stopped in front of the fire station.

Upon receiving the alert, 12 firefighters inside the station promptly deployed two fire trucks. They used hoses to extinguish the blaze in 20 minutes. According to the police, the driver, realizing the difficulty of putting out the fire alone, quickly decided to drive to the station for the fastest possible response. The incident occurred due to friction between the electronic waste and laptop batteries in the cargo. The fire consumed the goods, but the vehicle's undercarriage remained unaffected.

Dinh Van