Late on 14/4, the entire balcony of house number 3 on Ly Thuong Kiet street collapsed with a loud bang, completely blocking the entrance. Three occupants — two elderly individuals and one woman — were trapped inside. Fearing the house might collapse further, residents alerted rescue forces.

The scene of the collapse. *Nguyen Khanh*

Major Lam Gia Cuong, Deputy Head of the Sa Dec Area Firefighting and Rescue Team, stated that the house, approximately 45 square meters, was severely degraded. The collapsed section was a concrete balcony, where the homeowner had placed many heavy objects.

Six rescuers quickly approached and located the victims, while reassuring them to stay still and await rescue.

After assessing the situation, authorities determined that the ground floor door was far from the victims' location and could be breached without causing further collapse. An excavator from a nearby construction site was mobilized to break down the door, creating a path for rescuers to enter and bring the three individuals to safety.

The collapsed balcony completely blocked the house's exits. *Nguyen Khanh*

The rescue operation lasted about 30 minutes. The trapped individuals were unharmed and in stable condition.

Ngoc Tai