*Updates to follow.

A fire erupted around 10:00 AM on 19/8 at a large carpentry workshop in Chuong My ward, Hanoi. Initial reports indicate four to five people are feared trapped after 25 workers managed to escape the blaze.

The fire originated in the paint room and the mezzanine area leading to the spray paint room. The one-story workshop, spanning thousands of square meters, is strategically located at the intersection of National Highway 6 and Hoa Son street.

Approximately 30 workers were on duty when the fire broke out, scrambling to escape the encroaching flames and smoke. Worker Trinh Xuan Nghiem, 25, recounted the chaotic scene: "A section of the workshop roof collapsed, causing people to fall over each other. Some were unable to get out." Nghiem added that he and others attempted to douse the fire with on-site extinguishers, but the rapid spread and accompanying explosions made their efforts futile. While 25 people escaped safely, the status of 4 to 5 others remains unclear.

Public security and militia participate in extinguishing the workshop fire in Chuong My ward, Hanoi on the morning of 19/8. *Photo: Gia Chinh*.

By 11:00 AM, 4 fire trucks along with hundreds of police officers and militia members had arrived, approaching the workshop from both National Highway 6 and Hoa Son street to combat the extensive blaze.

Gia Chinh