A fire broke out in a 19th-floor apartment at the Gelexia Riverside condominium, located at 885 Tam Trinh alley, Hoang Mai ward, around 4:40 p.m. on 22/7. The fire alarm sounded, leading many residents to quickly evacuate with young children down the stairwells to the lobby. Since most residents were at work, escape routes were clear, without pushing or shoving.

According to Huong, a resident of the CT2B tower, the apartment was unoccupied when the fire started. Smoke billowed from the windows up to the 20th floor, where residents detected the fire and alerted authorities. Witnesses reported the fire originated in a bedroom before spreading to the kitchen area. As the blaze intensified, thick smoke and flames erupted onto the balcony. The intense heat caused windowpanes to shatter and fall.

The apartment was smoke-stained after the fire. Photo: Viet An

Firefighters arrived approximately 10 minutes after receiving the report. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within about 20 minutes. By 5:40 p.m., fire and rescue forces had left the scene.

The fire caused no casualties, but it destroyed many belongings inside the apartment. The fire stained walls and balconies of some apartments on higher floors black with smoke.

Gelexia Riverside spans about 3,5 hectares and comprises four towers, 31-33 floors high, containing nearly 2,000 apartments ranging from 45 to 240 square meters.