Fire at Vietnam shoe factory kills 13

[News_Editor]

Fire at Vietnam shoe factory kills 13

2011-07-30 21:34:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

HAI PHONG, VIETNAM (BNO NEWS) -- At least 13 people were killed and more than 20 others were seriously injured in a blaze at a shoe factory in the northern Vietnamese port city of Hai Phong, officials said on Saturday.

According to Vietnam News Agency, the fire broke out on Friday afternoon at a shoe factory in the Tan Dan commune of Hai Phong, killing 13 people, including 10 women, and injuring 25 others. Firefighters battled for an hour to put out the blaze.

The factory, which employed around 70 workers, had been operating for the last four months without a business license or a fire escape before it burnt down. It was owned by a Chinese man and his Vietnamese wife, who lost two younger sisters in the fire.

Pham Van Moi, spokesman for Hai Phong People's Committee, said in a press conference that a preliminary investigation showed the fire was triggered by welding cinders. He added that six people have been detained in connection with the fire.

According to the spokesman, municipal authorities plan to provide the grieving families with financial aid of between 5 and 10 million dong ($240-$490).

In March, nine people were killed and 12 others were injured when a fire broke out during a performance at a night club in central Taiwan. And in April, an explosion at a paper mill in northern Taiwan killed four people and injured 21 others.

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