Shortly after 7 PM, smoke and flames emerged from the apartment's door in Block B of the complex. Alerted by shouts and fire alarms, hundreds of residents, many with small children, evacuated via stairwells to the lobby and gathered along the roadside.

Smoke and flames erupt from 16th-floor apartment. Video: Minh Bang

A woman residing on the 4th floor recounted that after dinner, she was watching television when a neighbor knocked, alerting her to the fire. She promptly led her two young children down the stairs. "The air was quite suffocating, but everyone remained calm and moved orderly," she stated. Her family has lived in the building since its completion 15 years ago, and they had never experienced a fire.

Dat, a resident on the 17th floor of Block A, smelled something burning and immediately alerted those around him before evacuating with his son. Although the elevators were still operational, many residents opted for the stairs, fearing a power outage and potential entrapment.

Residents observe the incident from both sides of Nguyen Huu Canh street. Photo: Truong Ha

Upon detection, residents immediately notified fire police, whose station was only a few hundred meters away. Within minutes, three fire trucks and dozens of officers arrived at the scene. Emergency personnel quickly deployed water, extinguishing the blaze within 30 minutes.

According to residents, the apartment was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The building comprises two interconnected blocks, housing approximately 200 apartments.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Truong Ha