Father throws one-year-old daughter from rooftop to escape fire.

When the fire intensified, Mr. Hung, holding his one-year-old child, climbed onto the roof to find an escape route. The father then threw the baby girl to those standing below before jumping in after her.

On the morning of June 27th, the Bien Hoa City Police (Dong Nai province) conducted a scene investigation to clarify the cause of a fire that killed four people and injured two others. The fire caused the collapse of a house in residential area 6, Tan Bien ward (Bien Hoa City), and destroyed all belongings and goods inside.

Police officers are documenting the scene and investigating the incident. Photo: Ngoc An.

The residents of the neighborhood are still in shock when recalling the moment the fire broke out. Ms. Ngoc, who lives in the house opposite, said that at 2 a.m. that day, she was awakened by a series of explosions while she was sleeping. She got up, went outside to check, and discovered that the house of Ms. Doan Thi Lien (59 years old) was engulfed in flames.

“I ran to the door, but it was locked, so I couldn’t get inside. At that moment, I called the fire department and shouted for neighbors to come and put out the fire,” Ms. Ngoc said.

Knowing many people were trapped inside, neighbors tried to break down the door but failed. A witness said that several people used wooden planks to forcefully pry open the steel door, and it took dozens of minutes to break the hinges. The door didn't open completely, so no one could get inside. When the police arrived, they continued to use wooden planks to pry open the door, then used bolt cutters to cut through two layers of locks. Another group used hammers to break down the wall.

Witness Tran Ngoc Ha recounted: “The fire was raging fiercely. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa (27 years old, who died) climbed onto the roof to call for help, but then the corrugated iron roof collapsed, causing her to lose her footing and fall back into the flames. Tran Trong Hung (Hoa's husband) hugged his 1-year-old daughter, climbed onto the roof, and then jumped to the neighboring house to find an escape route. At this point, he threw his child down to the people standing on the ground and then jumped down himself from a height of nearly 3 meters.”

According to Mr. Ha, the fire emitted intense heat and a pungent odor. Firefighters, wearing gas masks, rushed in to rescue people. “Four victims were found in the bathroom area. When the police brought them out, no one was burned, but three had already died. The 5-year-old child was barely alive and received CPR but also died later,” Mr. Ha said.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Ha, one of the people who helped put out the fire that night. Photo: Ngoc An.

Among the deceased victims, five-year-old Vo Ca (Mrs. Lien's grandson) was a Vietnamese-American who had just returned home for a few days. On the morning of June 27th, upon hearing the news of their son's death, the boy's parents left the United States and returned to Vietnam.

The house where the fire occurred was also where Mr. Hung used to repair electrical and refrigeration equipment. According to residents, on a normal day, the homeowner would leave air conditioners and other appliances waiting for repair, almost completely filling the space. "From the outside to the inside, the house only had a passageway in the middle. The machinery and equipment were stacked on top of each other, looking very dangerous," a neighbor said.

Following the incident, authorities in Dong Nai province arrived to record and investigate the matter. Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Hoa Hiep, visited the scene to direct efforts to mitigate the consequences, and to offer condolences and support to the victim's family.

Mr. Pham Duc Trung, Head of Ward 6 (Tan Bien Ward), said that the leaders of Tan Bien Ward and Bien Hoa City were also present and provided the victim's family with 29 million VND in support.

According to Zing.vn